QuestionI have a night-blooming cactus (Cereus sp.) which was given to me. It usually blooms after 10pm on Aug 7 with a gorgeous white 6-8 inch flower. The growth pattern of the plant seems to be that it puts out long (4-8 feet) stems and makes a fleshy leaf from which the buds develop.
My question: where does this plant grow in the wild? What does it use for support, if anything?
AnswerMy profile states that my experience is limited to zone 6 and colder. I do not believe Cereus to be a wildflower in these zones. According to the American Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopaedia of Garden Plants, the genus Cereus originates in South America and the West Indies. The descriptions of the species therein, however, describe them all as columnar and treelike. I can think of two explanations: they flop under culture, or the night-blooming Cereus is misnamed and really isn't a Cereus at all.
