The Cereus are getting serious about flowering

Queen of the night. John Richter photo.

TUCSON -- The Night-blooming Cereus (Peniocereus greggii) looks like a dead stick most of the year, but between May and August it puts out beautiful, waxy, white blossoms that bloom for only one night.

Tohono Chul Park has one of the largest collections in the world of these plants, and when there are enough of them blooming at one time, the Park calls a "bloom night."

Bloom night visitors have the rare opportunity to see these mystical flowers, and smell their wonderful aroma that attracts the Sphinx moths that pollinate them.

- from tohonochulpark.org