How to Care for the Selenicereus Houseplant, the Queen of the Night or a Night Blooming Cereus

Locate the pot near a window that receives bright, all-day sunlight. Select a warm room for the plant. Selenicereus thrives in temperatures near 90 degrees Fahrenheit, but it can also grow well at a standard room temperature of 72 F.

Provide darkness from sunset until sunrise during the flowering period, which occurs from July to October. Indoor lighting can interfere with bud formation and blooming.

Water the Selenicereus plant only when the soil feels dry throughout. Empty the water from the dish beneath the pot after irrigating the plant. Selenicereus requires no more than once-weekly watering, and can often go two weeks or longer before irrigation is necessary.

Fertilize the plant once monthly during the spring and summer. Use a soluble fertilizer formulated for tropical houseplants. Apply it at half the strength recommended on the label.

Prune the Selenicereus to control its sprawl. Cut back the straight stems to their base if they are thinner than a pencil. Prune back larger stem sections to a node, maintaining the plant's height at 2 to 3 feet tall. Prune the Selenicereus plant at any time during the spring or summer growing season.