Got from a swap meet

I honestly have no idea what it is. It sent up a three foot spike and then flattened into a leaf


Drought Smart Plants reply:

You have purchased the Queen of the Night, or Hylocereus undata, which is one of the most interesting of all the epiphytes.

Their growth habit is not the most beautiful, but it will make up for this when it blooms.

These are known as night blooming cactus and their flowers once they open are usually white, and extremely highly scented.

This strange and beautiful occurrence pretty much guarantees that night flying moths will be attracted to it to pollinate the enormous flower.

By morning, the flower will have wilted to pale mush.

Occasionally, but rarely, growers have reported that they will bloom in daylight.

To care for these plants, and hopefully prompt it to bloom, you have to remember that they originate in jungle conditions high in the tree tops of warm areas of the world.

Although they seem very fleshy and succulent, this is to enable them to live without much water, not to survive extremely bright conditions.

Grow this plant in a bright but not in full sun window, water when dry, and in the summer hang it or place it on a porch or under a tree to get water when it rains, (if it doesn't rain, you have to water it with tepid water).

It is not frost hardy, so make sure as the cooler nights arrive in the fall, bring it indoors, where it most likely will have set a bud or two, and wait for the big event - blooming.

As an added bonus, the fruit that is produced by the flower is edible, and in some areas will sell for over $4 each.

See more about Night Blooming Cactus here:

Hylocereus undata on Dave's Garden Website (opens in a new window)

Epiphytes

Find out more about other related plants here:

Epiphyllum

Schlumbergera

---

Find out more about Succulent Plant Propagation:

---