It’s nearly 1AM, and I’m up late to witness a very special sight on my deck. To my complete surprise and delight, my Queen of the Night, a night-blooming cereus more properly referred to as Epiphyllum oxypetalum, has decided that tonight’s the night it’s gonna bloom. In the picture (taken in the pitch dark in the wee hours) to the left, the bloom is hanging against the backdrop of my giant spider plant.
I’m stunned by how fast the buds matured, I’m sure it took weeks longer the last time it happened. And, there is not just one bloom, there are two. It’s a fantastic sight, and the fragrance is almost overwhelming. I plan to sleep outside on the deck tonight, just so I can watch this miracle of beauty unfold.
The blooms will be fully open by about 3AM. Which is, oh, midnight in Hawaii. Just about the hour it turns into Wednesday, August 13th on the island, the day and place that my best buddy Meegan and her grand-champion dragonboat racer, Kris, get married in a private ceremony, surrounded by tropical flowers reminiscent of the two blooms on my deck.
A good omen. A very good omen. God bless you both, may the wind carry the fragance of the blooms, and my love, all the way to Hawaii to wrap around you both while you say your vows today.
# discuss
POLLENATRIX 