Cereus bloom festival

Today's bloom

Epi grown from seedling in the morning sun, and a picture of the Stapelia bloom. It's also known as a carrion flower, as it is pollenated by flies and has the smell of a carcass!! Sort of pretty in an unusual way but Yuck. !

July Cereus blooms

The night-blooming cereus is looking good.

Here's a bloom from a plant I've had for over 25 years. Got it as a 1 inch tall seedling at an ESA meeting in the early 80's and it FINALLY bloomed for me. It is nowa 5 foot tall plant, cereus in appearance, but very spiney. Not your mom's epiphyllum that's for sure.

Cereus sp

We planted this last year and were surprised to see all these buds today!! More pictures when it blooms. Not sure which cereus species this is, got the plant from a friend.

Epiphyllum guatemalense

Gee I won a HUGE species epiphyllum in a raffle at the ESA meeting last night. Lucky me LOL! I tried to give it to Mark Piette but he ran screaming the other direction. This is guatemalense, it has a spent bloom and a developing bloom. (see pencil-like bud on branch at the far left side). Since it's a night bloomer I may miss the big event, I dunno. We'll see! I can't figure out why I might want to keep this plant, maybe I'll donate it back to the arboretum.

There was an EXCELLENT speaker who works for the arboretum, who clued us all in on use of 6-benzyl adenine spray to stimulate cytokinins in the plant which results in abundence of growth and flowers. This is what commercial growers use to produce those Christmas cactus that you see for sale just loaded with buds. Control of fungal and viral diseases was also discussed. Another substance ws touched on; gibberellic acid which is used on cammelias and roses to stimulate flowering. All in all, a very fascinating lecture which I will use as a basis for further research into these substances.

With the epis done blooming, I can still enjoy the phaleonopsis and miltonias. That pendant pink phalaenopsis has been in bloom since April! The cattleyas outside should bloom in another month or so.

It's been a cool summer so far, the plants are doing well!! It hasn't gone much over 78 degrees most days; we've only had a couple of days in the 90s.

Strange succulent plant

If anyone can ID this for me please contact me! The growth is four-angled, spineless. The flower bud is HUGE. Will post another photo when it blooms. I've been waiting patiently....

Another small bud just getting started.....