Question
I was given a big queen of the night plant which was growing and doing well until a few months ago when the ends of the leaves started turning brown.  Shoots that I planted in the same pot also have turned brown and died.  The soil the plant was in was regular, not sandy. I water once a week.
Should I add some kind of sandy soil? water less. The plant is in the sunroom with filtered sun in the summer.
Please advise.  Thanks. I would hate this plant to die.

Answer
Hi Claudette,

"Queen of the Night" is a common name that refers to several different plants species, including  Selenicereus grandiflorus, Hylocereus undatus, Epiphyllum oxypetalum, Peniocereus greggii and Cestrum nocturnum.

My point here is not to imprees you with my knowledge of Latinized botanical names, but to help you properly identify your plant. It seems that most any cactus type plant that flowers spectacularly only at night ends up getting called "Queen of the Night" or "Night Blooming."

If you Google images of the plant species I have listed above, you may find one that matches yours. Or you can post a photo of yours here or email a photo to me at [email protected] and I will try to ID it for you.

Once we have a proper ID, then I can help you with proper cultural requirements.

~Will Creed