Peak Cactus?

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Every year there is a day that stands out as the pinnacle of the Cactus display in Sue’s glasshouse. Some cacti have flowers that last only 24 hours, opening in the evening to be pollinated by moths, then fading through the following day. They tend to be very large and showy flowers, usually faintly but beautifully scented, and nearly all the buds, not just on an individual plant, but across all the specimens of that particular species, open at the same time.

They join with the varieties that have flowers lasting a little longer to produce a high impact but very short lived special moment in the gardening calender. Sometimes if the weather is cool and overcast, it will carry over into a second day. This year peak cactus was yesterday and today it is cool and drizzly, they are still looking good.

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Published by Jim Stephens

Gardener, no-dig allotmenteer, camellia enthusiast. I love colour, it cheers me up. Retired nurseryman.

15 thoughts on “Peak Cactus?”

  1. Flowers that are endemic to deserts are competitive. They need to attract pollinators fast because their floral parts do not last long in arid warmth. (Perhaps they should be more durable.) Are some of these species endemic to humid jungle ecosystems?

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