Types of Night Blooming Cereus

Hylocereus undatus

• Keep Hylocereus undatus in a large container, filled with a mix of peat, sand and vermiculite to give its shallow roots quick drainage. Give it a stake or two for support, and let it go. Delicate, green stems dotted with short spines produce the largest flowers of all night-blooming cereus varieties, beginning with a few blossoms at the age of four, and increasing after that. Awkward and sprawling in the day, it puts on a marvelous show at night.

Selenicereus grandiflora

• Plant Selenicereus grandiflora for added interest and fast growth. Its stems are slender and bright green when they sprout, but take on purplish, darker tones as they mature. Also called "Queen of the Night," this Caribbean native is easily propagated from stem cuttings placed in moist, sandy soil. Pink-red, spiny petals surround its white flower centers.

Peniocereus greggii

• Try a Peniocereus greggii to round out your roster of night-blooming cereus. Also called the deer-horn cactus, this plant produces white flowers with a yellowish center. It looks something like a dead bush during the day, but puts on a show at night, making it a popular and low-maintenance plant for desert rock gardens. Peniocereus can be grown easily from division of its tuberous roots, or from stem cuttings. Just let the cuttings harden off in a shady spot for a week or two before planting.