Which season does the night-blooming cereus bloom?
An introduction to the blooming season of the night-blooming cereus and the experience of green plant maintenance regarding the flowering period of the night-blooming cereus. Let's take a look together.
The night-blooming cereus is a favorite plant for many families, with flowers that usually open in the evening, emitting a strong and pleasant fragrance. Let's find out when the night-blooming cereus blooms and why it opens at night.
The fragrance of the night-blooming cereus is strong and suitable for home planting, but it cannot be kept indoors for a long time as it can cause dizziness, coughing, asthma, and insomnia. Let's take a look at when the night-blooming cereus blooms and why it opens at night.
When does the night-blooming cereus bloom?
Generally, the blooming period of the night-blooming cereus is from May to October. The large span is influenced by the variety, temperature, humidity, soil, and climate differences between the north and south, showing different seasons. In the north, the peak blooming season is in late June, while in the south, it is mostly in August to September. This is because the high heat in the southern region leads to high humidity, which is suitable for the night-blooming cereus to bloom.
Why does the night-blooming cereus bloom at night?
1. The night-blooming cereus relies on ugly moths for pollination, unlike other flowers pollinated by bees and other small creatures. Since moths are only active at night, the night-blooming cereus chooses to be fragrant at night to attract them, showing the plant's adaptive ability to the environment.
2. The stomata of the night-blooming cereus are opposite to those of many other flowers. While other flowers close their stomata when the air is humid and open them when it's dry, the night-blooming cereus does the opposite. When the air is very humid, its stomata open wide, allowing the fragrant substances inside to expand rapidly, making it smell strong. At night, with no sun evaporation, the ground temperature drops suddenly, cold air descends, and humidity increases sharply. In such a humid environment, the night-blooming cereus is more likely to open and even more fragrant.
Why doesn't the night-blooming cereus bloom?
1. The flower buds of the night-blooming cereus are formed on the bulb the previous year. If the planted bulb is small and has not reached the blooming age, it will not bloom. Generally, the diameter of the night-blooming cereus bulb should reach 2.2 centimeters or more, with an inflorescence primordium formed inside the previous year, and it will bloom after planting.
2. Digging the bulb too late or improper storage of the bulb in winter, with too low temperature, humidity, or freezing, can cause the flower bud inside the stem to freeze or rot, preventing it from blooming the following year.
3. Digging the bulb too early can affect the differentiation of the flower bud inside the bulb, causing it not to bloom when planted the second year.
4. Excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer can lead to the excessive growth of stems and leaves, resulting in fewer flowers or even no flowers at all.
The above information about the blooming season of the night-blooming cereus and the description of its flowering period is for the reference of green plant enthusiasts, hoping to solve your problems in green plant and flower management.