How to Make Selenicerus Grandiflorus Bloom Every Year? 5 Care Steps | 5 Unique Facts

About Selenicerus Grandiflorus

Looking for magical blooming flowers? Grow Selenicereus Grandiflorus!

It is a rare type of cultivated cactus popular with plant lovers with its magical white-yellowish flowers that bloom once a year.

“A night-blooming plant parent, royalty in the neighborhood.”

Known as the ‘queen of the night’, this plant is the kind that beckons friends and neighbors to watch for its annual idyllic flower show.

Learn how to groom, care for and maintain the beauty of your queen plant to witness stunning blooms year after year.

Disclaimer: We’ve also listed 5 amazing facts you didn’t know about this stunning cactus.

Let’s get a wing from all about the classic cereus! (Selenicereus Grandiflorus)

Selenicereus Grandiflorus

Queen of the night, princess of the night or Selernicereus grandiflorus is a fashionable type of cactus because of its beautiful yellowish or white flowers that can bloom in one diameter.

They are stunning succulents as they have a limited bloom time, yes! Cereus begins his magical magic show at night.

The blooms emit a vanilla-like scent that fills the air with a heady scent. Remember that the flowers curl as the first daylight hits the sky.

Bonus: It also produces edible red fruit. (Selenicereus Grandiflorus)

Let’s find out how you can care for your Selenicereus grandiflorus for a guaranteed blooming every year: Night Blooming Cereus Care

The term night-blooming cereus often refers to different types of cacti, but we are here to discuss desert cacti, the fascinating Selenicereus grandiflorus.

You don’t need to do much when it comes to caring for a Cereus cactus. Check the little things and it will start a magnificent bloom every year. (Selenicereus Grandiflorus)

1. Placement

Before choosing a final location for Selenicereus grandiflora, keep in mind that these are wild-growing plants native to Mexico, Florida, and Central America.

Cereus cactus needs full to partial sunlight for best growth and can survive in the 5°C-41°C (41°F-106°F) temperature range.

Indoors: Before you decide to grow them indoors, remember that night blooming cacti can be giants as they are tall climbing plants. And don’t forget the thorny stems!

They reach 17cm-22cm and up to 38cm wide. Yes, they are huge! So make sure you have enough room and sunlight (indirect) to allow them to grow happily indoors.

Outdoors: The queen of the night plant needs light shading and something to support the weight of its huge undulating stems that resemble the undulating stems of snake plants.

So if you are growing it outdoors in your garden or lawn, be sure to plant it in a container with a bamboo stick or even with a pine, palm or any tree to get the support and shade it needs.

It is best to grow the night blooming flower plant outdoors!

Note: They are not frost tolerant plants which means they will not do well in freezing temperatures. If you live in a cold area during the winter, move the plant indoors.

2. Growing

Growing requirements for Queen of the Night flower are similar to other cacti.

They prefer well-drained sandy soil mixed with compost. You can also use a regular cactus mix or an equal amount of potting and sand mix.

Like other succulents, they do not require a high watering routine as they do not like to sit in wet soil and do not do well if the soil is completely dry.

Water once or twice a week in the summer and every two to three weeks in the winter. Do not overwater your Selenicereus to prevent root rot!

Use any organic cactus fertilizer to provide the plant with all the necessary nutrients during the foliage or growing season, from March to the end of September.

Note: Do not forget to check the soil moisture and irrigation routine during the flowering period.

Common names of Selenicereus Grandiflorus
The beautiful Selenicereus Grandiflorus is known by different names such as queen of the night, cereus cactus, night blooming cactus, large-flowered cactus, vanilla cactus.

3. Flowering

Fact: Selenicereus is named after the Greek Moon goddess ‘Selene’, and Grandiflorus is a Latin word meaning large flowered.

If you’ve ever seen the magic spectacle of night blooming flowers, you’ll know why it’s called grandiflorus.

They bloom to huge white, cream, or yellow flowers that bloom almost over 1 foot.

If you see the plants next to the blooming season, you might call them ugly ducklings of the cactus species.

But compared to the magical spectacle they put on each year, we have to say it was well worth it!

Selenicereus grandiflorus Vs. epiphyllum oxyepetalum

They are often compared to the most commonly grown straight-stemmed Epiphyllum oxypetalum (other cacti called the queen of the night).

In contrast, true cereus grandiflorus cactus species have rounded stems and are rare in cultivation. Also, most of the plants under this name are hybrids.

Do you know
They are known as königin der Nacht in German and an artist named Tlim Shug has an album called Selenicereus grandiflorus.

4. Blooming

We were gushing about the magical, enchanted, or stunning flower show of the night blooming cactus, but,

How often does a nightshade bloom? One time! Yes, you have one chance to witness this breathtaking view.

And you should wait for flowering until the plant matures. For example, some people are lucky to see it bloom after 2 years, while others have to wait up to four years.

Now you must be thinking, what should you do to not miss the magical view?

Or how do you know that the night flower Selenicereus is ready to be the queen of the night?

Average flowering time is in late spring or July-August. It will begin to open between 19.00 and 21.00 and will reach its peak at midnight.

They fade as soon as the first beam of light, heralding the end of the night, touches the sky, and so does their show.

One night it blooms, one night it lives, one night it casts its magic, yet the heavenly Selenicereus Grandiflorus flowers never fail to enchant everyone around them.

5. Propagation

There are two methods of propagation of night-blooming cereus. You can use stem cuttings or sow the seeds directly into a soil mix.

If you choose to propagate them using cuttings, allow the cereus callus (when the tips of the cuttings dry and harden) to pass before planting in cactus mix or sandy potting soil.

It may take three to six weeks for them to root. Here’s a video on how to propagate Selenicereus grandiflorus from cuttings:

Repotting: If there’s one plant that can survive three to four years without repotting, it’s right here, Selenicereus grandiflorus.

Regular and frequent repotting is not recommended for this plant as it requires strong roots to produce flowers.

Pot size: Try placing it in a pot of at least 10 inches to let it grow.

Pruning: Use a sterile sharp cutting blade or tree grafting kit to prune off shoots or offset for a new plant.

Note: Be careful when handling night blooming cacti as they have sharp edges or spines. Before pruning, get any cut-resistant gloves you have in your kitchen or backyard.

Diseases

Although the Queen of the Night is an easy-care plant like Monstera Adansonii. Yet it is not immune to mealybugs, root rot or other pests.

Here’s how to protect your beautiful Selenicerues grandiflorus from all the pesky insects before it blooms:

Use a soap and water mixture or even a lace to protect the leaves from insects and provide regular watering to prevent root rot of the plant.

5 Unique Facts About Unique Selenicerus Grandiflorus

Now that you’ve read all about the beautiful and evergreen night blooming cactus, let’s learn 5 exciting facts about this amazing plant:

1.It was once the largest-Flowered Cacti known:

Carl von Linné discovered the night cactus in 1753 and was believed to be the largest flowering cactus known at the time.

2. Red Yellowy Edible Fruit:

They bloom at night, as the name suggests, or we can say that they bloom only one night, all year.

Also, the flowers emit a vanilla scent that attracts night bats for pollination and makes an edible red tomato-sized fruit for humans.

3. Medicinal Uses:

Selenicereus grandiflorus has been used as a folkloric remedy for preserving symptoms of congestive heart failure and as a heart tonic to regulate blood pressure.

4. Homeopathy Research:

According to a study published by the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products, dried or fresh aerial parts of the Selenicereus grandiflorus plant are used in traditional human phytotherapy.

5. Night-Blooming Cactus is used as a reference to different cacti:

The term night blooming cactus is often used as a reference to four different plants belonging to the cacti family.

These include Peniocereus greggii, Selenicereus grandiflorus. (both known as queens of the night)

The other two are Hylocereus undatus (dragon fruit) and Epiphyllum oxypetalum.

Final Thoughts

Selenicereus grandiflorus, the night blooming cactus or the queen of the night, whatever you call it, is a truly unique plant that blooms with exotic white, yellowish and creamy flowers.

Yes, it’s not as demanding as the polka dot plant, but you still can’t escape the essential care needs of the night cactus.

Follow our exclusive Selenicereus grandiflorus guide to see your plant growing and growing as usual.

Finally, let us know the next exotic plant you want to read about. Your opinion matters!

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