Nightblooming cereus, also known as the lunar flower, moon flower and queen of the night, blooms Sunday night, July 12, 2009, in Santa Monica. The bud slowly began to open at about 7pm and was in full bloom by midnight. Each bloom only lasts for that one night. By sunrise the flower is spent. They bloom just on one or two nights of the year--typically around May 30th. The flower is very fragrant and is used to make perfumes. The plant grows as a thin, almost dead looking stick from a single stem in the ground.

Family: Cactaceae (kak-TAY-see-ee) Genus: Epiphyllum (ep-ih-FYE-lum) Species: oxypetalum (oks-ee-PET-al-um)