Night-blooming cactus that blossoms en masse just once a year receives paparazzi treatment befitting of a star
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Bloom Night a shutterbug's delight
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Rick Fitzpatrick, left, and Michael Timko had plenty of photo opportunities, as Tohono Chul Park is home to more than 300 cereus plants.
Once the stick-like cacti blossomed, even insects sought a close view of nature’s nocturnal splendor.
Mary Young captures the early moments of Bloom Night as the sun sets on July 10 at Tohono Chul Park. The event marks the one night of the year when the cereus Peniocereus greggii, known as “Ruby,” mass blooms. The palm-size blossoms begin to wilt within hours of sunrise.
Before sunset, Ilya Terentiev lines up his best angle to capture the “Queen of the Night.”
This year, the night-blooming cereus featured five blooms, which opened shortly after sunset.
