Blooms in the Night

Joining Tootsie Time for Fertilizer Friday, even though I do well to water, much less fertilize. Big show of Epiphyllum oxypetalum on the night before 9/11/2013. I missed 3 blooms in the greenhouse the night prior. These are outside on an improvised bench with pots of Amaryllis bulbs on their sides drying off.

The word for flowers that bloom in the night is Vespertine.

Some people plan parties around the opening of Epiphyllum blooms.

Blossoms open by about 10 pm and are limp and spent next morning.

I tried to give them a jungle setting for summer. They are among

Gardenias and Mock Orange under a Red Cedar and Sassafras.

That's as near to a jungle as I could provide.

The heavy stems use an old iron headboard as support.

Before frost comes, these 2 plants will need pruning and I have to figure a way to stuff them into the greenhouse with 3 others. It doesn't seem to matter where they grow, they will bloom. 

There is one last bud in the greenhouse and one outside yet to bloom. 

The last blooms usually come in October.

I couldn't get all the blooms into one picture. You can count 8 here,

some are hidden among the shrubbery. Epis put out long canes and

blooms grow off the big flat 'leaves.' The plants are as awkward as

the blossoms are beautiful.

A small Brug plant with two trunks. I rooted several last winter, gave

away some. All but one in too much shade have bloomed.

There's a young plant in the near view in front of the big plant which is more

than six feet tall. They die back to roots here at frost but come back to 

full size the next year.

During the day, the blooms droop but open their skirts wide when night comes. 

Unlike the Epiphyllums, Brugmansia blooms last 

for more than one night, depending on weather conditions.

Brugmansias do grow from seeds and there are growers who hybridize.

I've never seen seeds because I cut off spent blooms to keep more coming.

I spread rooted cuttings around the upper garden like marmalade.

They begin opening in late afternoon .

I wish you could experience the fragrance of both. 

Brugs are light and sweet, Epis are spicy sweet to attract pollinators.