The Epiphyllum oxypetualum is one of many varieties of the night blooming Cereus. They are native to rainforests, and are known as some of the easiest houseplants you could ever dream of growing. I can vouch for that.
Many years ago, I picked up a couple of dying stems of a discarded Epiphyllum Oxypetualum plant. They were so far gone I could not tell which is the face or back of the stem. I knew that they were hardy plants. So, it was sort of an experiment to see how hardy they are. I stick them in a pot, and watered them, not really expecting anything to come out of them. Imagine my surprise when they began growing new shoots/stems. It was then that I realized I had planted one of the stem upside down - with the face facing downwards and the underside of the stem/leave facing upwards. But that didn't seem to deter their growing. So, I let them be.
After a couple of years, when I didn't see any blooms, and was about to throw them out, they again surprised me with their blooms - beautiful, big, snowy white showy flowers that have a lovely, strong scent. Some described the flowers as dramatic. I can understand why. They are 'Queen of the Night', after all. And for one night only. If you were it, wouldn't you want to make your presence felt?
As the years go by, they seem to bloom more regularly. I am not complaining, of course, just happy to see them blooming. Unfortunately, they only bloom in the early evening, and by the next morning the flowers are dead. You have to stay up to see them in full bloom.
These were buds in the early evening, getting ready to bloom.
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