Queen of the Night

One of the strangest... although not that unusual... plants of the desert is the Cereus cactus... otherwise known as "The Queen of the Night".

If a bud forms and matures into a bloom... for one night and one night only... her exquisitely scented and glorious white flower opens as night falls... and then closes forever with the first rays of the morning sun.

This is the first and only bloom on this cactus we've had for about 5 years now... and Monday night... Labor Day evening... was her time to grace the twilight with her beauty.

Tech Data: Nikon D-70; AF-S Nikkor 18-70 lens @ 70mm; 1\125 sec @ f11; Diffused flash

Portfolio: Flora