Thursday, June 07, 2007

Orchid Cactus first bloom of the season


My Orchid Cactus bloomed this week for the first time this season; it will flower from now into the end of October. I consider the flower from this plant the most beautiful and exotic of my collection.
If you are not paying attention you can you miss the flowers all together because they open up 10pm and they are done by 10am the next morning.
For several years this cacti has been growing on the trunk of an old coconut tree. The tree died a few years ago from a lighting strike, but the cactus continued to grow. For the last two years I been predicting the end because the coconut trunk is rotting and the weight of the cactus will bring it down. I hope it will stay up at least to the end of summer.

Picture the night before it bloomed

Picture in early morning.

Picture before noon

7 comments:

Jeanette said...

Wow What a beautiful Cacti its a shame the flowers are only out such a short time,

LostRoses said...

What a beautiful and fleeting tropical. It's almost teasing you to catch it in bloom! Glad you did.

Carol Michel said...

I have a similar plant, but mine has to be inside all the time, and I only get one or two flowers a year, so when it blooms, I stay in and watch it.

Iowa Gardening Woman said...

Carol, I have the same problem except mine only had one flower, I watched it the whole day :).

Beautiful orchid cactus!

CloneZero said...

Really a beautiful plant. I just saw one in a mangrove tree in Florida. it had buds for blooms but never bloomed while I was there.

Any idea what the Latin name if for the cactus?

Anonymous said...

I have a standard pink one as a house plant.... I wish you were in Canada I would try to twist your arm for a peice of this plant o start my own. Thank you SOOOOOOOOOO much for sharing
Susan Duff
sueduff@nb.sympatico.ca

purlgurls said...

Holy Smokes! Makes me want to move to Florida! Can I send you some money and stamps for a cutting? That is the most beautiful orchid cactus I've ever seen!! Thanks for sharing, Jessica