All the rain this weekend helped to cool down the temperatures by quite a lot so on Sunday morning I went for an early morning walk at the Desert Botanical Garden. I didn't expect to see cactus blooms but one cactus located at the entrance to the garden had an abundance of blooms on it.
It's a very tall and very bumpy cactus called Cereus Hildmannianus. Whoa, that's a mouthful.
If you look at the tallest arms, you will see blooms sprouting out in all directions.
This is a night blooming cactus so when I arrived at 6:00 AM, most of the blooms were still open. You can see the two I have pictured there in the center of the cactus.
I'm glad I was there early to see these two beauties.
14 comments:
I imagine all the plants would have enjoyed the rainfall!
I've heard of night-blooming cereus, but I think the ones we have in Florida are different from that one. They're kind of like big, succulent vines. Anyway, great shots, and bravo for getting out early. The early bird gets the worm, as all our grandmothers used to say. :)
Some days it pays to be the early bird!
You are a real photographer! Real photos get up early and stay up late and sleep during the day when the sun is high in the sky causing all sorts of lousy contrast. :)
Cactus blooms always attract me...I guess they are somehow unexpected. We have little cactuses here which grow close to the ground but have beautiful flowers on them.
To this plant I'd say, "Don't be a prick! Be beautiful like this flower beside you."
Interesting that it blooms at night. It must be trying to attract bats instead of bees.
So pretty.
I love these, I have one on my patio so when it is blooming I see it each morning. They don't last very long.
I'm impressed that you are out so early, Sharon! It looks like it is covered in blooms during the night.
I'm probably repeating myself but it never ceases to amaze me how such prickly plants can produce such delicate beauties!
The blooms, and the cacti themselves, are beautiful!
A neighbor I once had in Phoenix had a night blooming Cereus in his yard. He also was a bit of a photographer and on the night he knew it was going to bloom, he set up a black cloth behind it, some lights and his camera on a tripod. Got some great shots.
I used to grow night-flowering cacti. It was exciting to sit and wait for them opening up in the evening.
Oh well done on getting there early enough to catch these lovely blooms in all their glory Sharon, and ditto what Ciel said :)
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