Night Blooming Cereus Flowers

Characteristics of the Night-Blooming Cereus

• The night-blooming cereus is one of the spineless vining cacti. It is a leafless succulent. It does well in outdoor containers and hanging plants. The cereus prefers full sunlight during the day. In order to bloom, however, it will require several hours of complete darkness at night during its blooming season.

Preferred Climate of the Night-Blooming Cereus

• The night-blooming cereus is extremely heat tolerant. It will do very well even in temperatures that exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The downside to this heat tolerance is that the night-blooming cereus will not do well outdoors in areas that frost in the winter. Areas where the cereus will do well outdoors year round include Arizona and Florida. Otherwise, your cereus plant must be a houseplant in the cooler months of the year.

Care of the Night-Blooming Cereus

• The night-blooming cereus is adapted to survive in moisture-restricted environments. The root system is rather small and underdeveloped, so it is important that your cereus plant be planted in soil and a container that drains well. A potting soil/sand mixture will be ideal. A water-soluble fertilizer provided no more than once a month will be adequate for its fertilization needs. Do not water more than once a week. Pruning may be necessary if the cereus plant's vine sprawl becomes unwieldy.

Flowering Habits of the Night-Blooming Cereus

• Cereus plants only bloom in the night hours. The blossom will open late in the evening. It will complete flowering and drop the blossom at first light of the next day. Depending on the plant, the night-blooming cereus may bloom every year. Other people find that their cereus plant only blooms on alternating years. The cereus blossom season ranges from the middle of the summer months to fall, and when your night-blooming cereus flowers, it will bloom every two weeks for the entirety of the blossoming season.