Photos: 'Queen of the Night' blooms over the years in Tucson
The night-blooming cereus (variation Peniocereus greggii) blooms only once a year, usually between late May and July.
Known by many as "the Queen of the Night," the plant's yearly bloom draws spectators to Tohono Chul Park, 7366 N. Paseo del Norte, where an annual "bloom night" celebration is held.
2023
Flower enthusiasts approach one of the night-blooming cereus (peniocereus greggii) under a rising sun the morning after the annual Bloom Night at Tohono Chul on July 24, 2023, in Tucson. Five of the blooming flowers were seen along the Desert View Trail.
2023
A night-blooming cereus (Peniocereus greggii) blooms at the Tohono Chul Park on July 24, 2023.
2023
A night-blooming cereus (Peniocereus greggii) blooms at the Tohono Chul Park on July 24, 2023.
2019
Docent Janel Feierabend talks about the night-blooming cereus to onlookers during the 2019 Bloom Night at Tohono Chul.
2019
Lauran Penn gets a sniff of one of flower on the night-blooming cereus named Tentacles during the annual Bloom Night at Tohono Chul Park, Saturday, July 13, 2019.
2019
Sarah Kazy composes a two-bloom shot on Emerald, one of the dozen or so night-blooming cereus producing flowers at the Annual Bloom Night at Tohono Chul Park, Saturday, July 13, 2019, Tucson, Ariz.
2019
One of the three flowers the night-blooming cereus Emerald produced on her one night of the year during the Annual Bloom Night at Tohono Chul Park on July 13, 2019.
2018
Maia Irigoyen gets a sniff of Emerald, one of the hundreds of night-blooming cereus flowering during Bloom Night at Tohono Chul on Saturday, June 23, 2018. Emerald put out six blooms that year, one of the more prolific of the one-night only flowers.
2017
The "Queen of the Night" night-blooming cereus plant begins to open during the Bloom Night event at Tohono Chul Park on July 18, 2017, in Tucson, Ariz.
2017
A photo of the Queen of the Night plant, prior to blooming, taken during the Bloom Night event.
2017
Bill Morrow snaps a photo of the Queen of the Night.
2016
A mass bloom of The Queen of the Night (Peniocereus greggii) happens one night a year at Tohono Chul Park, 7366 N. Paseo del Norte.
2016
Kyle Cripps, 4, leans in to smell the sweet aroma of the Peniocereus greggii.
2016
Ants crawl on a a blooming Peniocereus greggii plant during Bloom Night 2016.
2016
A Peniocereus greggii plant named "Emerald" begins to open up her blooms the during Bloom Night 2016.
2016
Lee Mason, director of general services at Tohono Chul Park, gives a talk about the "Queen of the Night," which blooms during Monsoon season.
2015
The night-blooming cereus, or the "Queen of the Night," opens just after sunset at Tohono Chul Park at 7366 North Paseo del Norte on June 12, 2015.
2014
The night-blooming cereus known as Ruby, this time sporting five blooms for its only flowering of the year, opens shortly after sunset at Tohono Chul Park, Thursday, July 10, 2014.
2014
Rick Fitzpatrick, left, and Michael Timko line up their shot of the night-blooming cereus known as Ruby.
2010
The setting sun makes for a unique backdrop as a night-blooming cereus flower, highlighted with a flashlight, begins to open at Tohono Chul Park.
2010
Fully open night-blooming cereus flowers at Tohono Chul Park on June 30, 2010.
2008
Sisters Rebecca (left) and Kacie Bauer take photos of the night-blooming cereus during the annual Bloom Night on July 2, 2008, at Tohono Chul Park in Tucson, Ariz. Hundreds of people turned out to see, smell and photograph the Peniocereus greggii, which blooms for only one night a year.
2007
A pair of night-blooming cereus bloom at Tohono Chul Park. Colored lights were used to illuminate the flower.
2006
Pat Coleman takes a photo with a disposable camera of a night-blooming cereus (Peniocereus greggii) at Tohono Chul Park on June 13, 2006.
2005
A night-blooming cereus shows its stuff at Tohono Chul Park on July 29, 2005.
2004
A night-blooming cereus seen at Tohono Chul Park on July 5, 2004. Each plant blooms only once a year, opening its petals at sunset and closing them when the sun comes up.
2003
Jennifer and her son, Kyle, 5, get close enough to smell the night-blooming cereus during the annual Night-blooming Cereus Celebration at Tohono Chul Park on June 6, 2003.
The night-blooming cereus, which normally looks like a pile of dead sticks, put its beautiful white blooms on full display for the night before wilting away with the sun on Monday.