Epiphyllum

Five People and a Queen

| Flower Roberts

The first thing that happened was the Cereus ‘Queen of the Night’ plant that I gave to my friend, Palmer, had sixty buds on it, many of which bloomed last night.

His wife, Lucy, was with me in the mountains, so he was texting photos of the angelic blooms to his wife well after dark. The unusual thing about that is these sixty blooms are the third round of blooms on Palmer’s Cereus plant. Palmer is a plant whisperer.

Palmer the Plant Whisperer

I have been admiring a fabulous garden that I pass several times each week, so I finally had time to pull over and leave my card in the mailbox with a note asking if I could write a post about the exuberant garden.

More about this garden in next post.

The gardener and I have been texting back and forth for days. We decided to meet for lunch on Labor Day(today) at a restaurant near her home. I took Lucy with me to lunch.

I told this new friend, Alice, that I would bring her two of my favorite potted plants to add to her collection. The two plants were Queen of the Night/ Night- blooming Cereus/Epipyhllum oxypetalum with the angelic white blooms and Epiphyllum orchid cactus ‘Over the Top” which blooms pink.

A baby Cereus plant for my new friend, Alice

As we ate lunch, we three shared the photos that Palmer sent of his Queen of the Night blooming and Alice was excited about adopting such a glorious type of plant. I have blogged on this Cereus before and have stated many times that if an angel were a bloom, it would be a Cereus bloom.

Palmer’s Cereus blooms

Since Alice saw on my blog that I did decoupage, she wanted to show me a lamp made by her late mother-in-law using a reverse decoupage technique. She had just moved her sister-in law, Opal, into the house next door. It was Opal’s lamp. I was very interested in seeing it, so we went to pop in on Opal to get a look at this reverse decoupage.

Here is when the universe showed itself!

The lamp was decoupaged with a large picture of a Queen of the Night bloom.

Reverse decaupage lamp

There were gasps and waves of goosebumps. We hugged each other knowing fate had brought us four together with an assist from Palmer and his cell phone. I had to go home and lie down because the connections were too complex to be coincidence and I needed time to process all the events leading up to the magic.

Orchid cactus bloom

You do the math. Palmer’s plant bloomed last night. Lucy was staying with me, so I got to see the pics. Alice met us for the first time today. I brought her a Cereus as a gift. Her sister-in-law, Opal, just moved here with the lamp that has a Queen of the Night bloom on it.

WOWZA!

FLOWER

The Crazy Orchid Cactus

| Flower Roberts

I think I finally figured out how to get this Epiphyllum to bloom. It spent all winter in front of a sunny window. It had buds before it was set outside.

EPIPHYLLUM Orchid Cactus

I gave it a good dose of Bloom Food and some succulent fertilizer. Last,  I trimmed off about two dozen cuttings to share.

Red Orchid Cactus

Bingo. This plant has never bloomed this prolifically. It has stolen the show.

FLOW

The Swinging Red Epiphyllum

| Flower Roberts

Any Epiphyllum gets my undivided attention while blooming.

This red Epiphyllum oxypetallum is blooming on only one side because I hung it at a window over the winter and forgot to turn it. Look away and you will pay.

I hope the other stems will be inspired to bloom now that it is hanging in the sunshine.

I use two hooks to hang these so they are easier for me to water. This makes for a lively display on windy days. It can be a bit dangerous trying to water them in wind since these have small spines.

FLOWER

Three Queens

| Flower Roberts

I have been watching the buds form for weeks.

They change each day; getting bigger, getting greener, changing shape.

Last night was finally the night for my Night Blooming Cereus to bloom.

I could tell it was time by the giant buds actually quaking in anticipation.

Their petioles had curved up to get the blooms into a horizontal position. Thus the name ‘Dutchman’s Pipe.’

At around nine PM the petals had opened up to exposed the stamens and pistil.

The parts kept peeling back until the throat was opened wide.

I waited hours for a pollinating bat. Only small moths appeared around the blooms.

The scent was a mixture of wintergreen mint and coconut.

This Epiphyllum oxypetalum is truly amazing in every way.

Oh, what a night!

Flower

Queen or Angel?

| Flower Roberts

I found a surprise while watering my potted plants yesterday.

I had not noticed the bud on my Epiphyllum oxypetalum before.

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I usually notice every change in my garden.

Right now I am too busy. My precious father is dying.

I go to the hospital alone to take the first shift. Only one visitor at a time due to Covid.

So I am very blessed to happen to notice the bud ready to bloom.

I set my alarm clock to wake me near midnight.

I slipped outside with my flashlight to sit alone with my flower.

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This was its first bloom after many years of growth.

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I was amazed at its complexity.

Its pistil had a shaggy end.

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Its anthers glowed in the light.

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It was the whitest white I have ever seen.

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I sat there in silence thinking that if an angel were a flower, it would look just like this.

It would come to me in the still, cool darkness and give my heart a moment of peace.

This flower may be named “Queen of The Night”, but it was my angel.

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Flower

The Plant Knows

| Flower Roberts

Plants know things. I know this because I study them.

I want to know What a Plant Knows.

I have read a book by that name written by Daniel Chamovitz.

I also took the Coursera class from Tel Aviv University by that name.

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Plants know where they are and the seasons and what they are close to.

I am trying to learn from them. They are teaching me.

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This Epiphyllum Orchid cactus never bloomed.

I researched its native habitat.

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In Brazil it hangs from the trees.

So I hung it from a tree.

See.

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It knows.

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Now it blooms every June.

Humans don’t know everything, but we can learn things

even from plants.

Especially from plants… and animals.

They are the ancients.

Flower

 

When is a Leaf not a Leaf?

| Flower Roberts

There really are many answers to this in the world of botany.

In this case I am referring to the puzzling plant, Epiphyllum oxypetalum.

This leggy plant sprawls as it grows. It is in a heavy pot for balance not for root room.

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Mine has not bloomed yet, but I am enjoying its peculiar habit of growth.

When is a leaf NOT a leaf?  When it’s a stem.

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The orchid cactus has flattened stems that look like leaves with thick veins.

When new leaves pop out from the ends of these veins,

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you realize that the leaf was a stem.

Epiphytes that live in trees have different rules than ground plants.

A stem has to serve as a leaf and a stem.

Another lesson in life from a plant.

Thanks nature.

Flow

Hang these Weirdos

| Flower Roberts

Epiphytes get their name from living on other plants.

This does not mean that they are parasites, just that they share space with larger plants for support.

They have long succulent leaves that are heavy.  These have strange shapes that may vary on the same plant.

I have several Epiphyllums.

Since they normally live in the semishade of trees in Mexico,

I hang them in trees so that they will feel at home.

Both of these Epiphyllums were obtained as pieces, not whole plants.

I asked to buy cuttings from two of my favorite garden centers.

No point in my buying a giant plant when a piece will do.

I know that this orchid cactus will bloom red.  It has not as of yet, but its parent plant had red blooms.

These Epiphyllums bloom during fall or winter, so I hope to see a bloom soon.

This fishbone/zigzag cactus should have white or yellow blooms.

Its blooms are nocturnal.  I will be watching both these plants in the coming weeks for signs of buds.

If you get an Epiphyllum, you had best hang it up.

They love to swing in the breeze from the trees.

FLOWER

 

My First Love was Leaves

| Flower Roberts

I have not always been the FLOWER.

My first love was leaves.   I collected leaves.  Pressed leaves into pictures.  Made stationery with embedded leaves…

In my home there are leaves on the rugs and floor clothes and walls and sofas…

So today I want to share an unusual leaf.

I have been watching this plant grow for months.

It was a gift from ” My Friend the Fairy.”  (See post. She is adorable)

The plant is a “Queen of the Night” , “Night Blooming Cereus” or Epiphyllum oxypetallum.

Its nickname is also Gooseneck cactus.   Now I know why.  One leaf decided it needed to be longer.  So it added another lobe on the tip.

This stem and leaf first looked like a rising cobra’s head several months ago.

It elongated and has now sprouted side leaflets.

The leaves are very thick and the venation is visually absent,

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except for the midrib seen underneath.

The midrib sends vein offshoots to each leaflet.

The underside of the main leaf has rootlets which is typical of an epiphyte.

Lastly, I would like to include a photo that those who know me will appreciate.

Photo shoot carnage.  Positioning leaves lead to a spill.  Another mess.  I wonder what punishment will be bestowed upon me by my facedown fairy godmother. She’s mean.

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The Queen only blooms once every couple of years, so I will enjoy its leaves in the meantime.

FLOWER