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dragonfruit, Dragonfruit farm, fragrant plants, Mindo Ecuador, Nocturnal blooming plants, Pitahaya
Selenicereus megalanthus, better known as ‘Dragon Fruit’ – or ‘Pitahaya’ in Ecuador.
“And I think of the night-blooming cereus, a plant that looks like a leathery weed most of the year.
But for one night each summer its flower opens to reveal silky white petals, which encircle yellow lacelike threads,
and another whole flower like a tiny sea anemone within the outer flower.
By morning, the flower has shriveled. One night of the year, as delicate and fleeting as a life in the universe.” —Alan Lightman – The Accidental Universe: The World You Thought You Knew
Mindo Ecuador – Dec. 01, 2016 (Rabbit-rabbit!)
Yesterday morning my friend Clemencia emailed to say, “We are having some flowering in the pitahaya, if you would like to come tonight… if you want to invite Cynthia, please do; she wanted to see the flowers too. It is not a big flowering, but the nights have been beautiful so even with a few it will be nice.”
Those ‘few’ flowers were more than I could photograph! Cynthia was unable to join us, but these photos confirm that I cherished every second of last night’s noctural experience! The crickets and frogs provided a subtle soundtrack, and the fireflies twinkled from ground level to the tree tops.
The flowers’ lemony and subtle aroma reminded me of Magnolia Grandiflora, a comforting and nostalgic comfort to my senses. These flowers seemed to be as large as those magnolias, yet they looked like an outerspace mix of many flowers, from peonies to Louisiana ‘Swamp Lily’ to waterlilies. I was tempted to walk every row to be the personal inspector of flowers until their cycles ended with the sunrise!
I told Clemencia that if I lived on the grounds, I’d probaby be up every night – all night, just inspecting, admiring and drinking in the magical flowering experience!
Clemencia graciously invited me to return the next night (tonight) and also said it was OK to bring friends.
If this set of buds opens at the same time, they are going to be stunning!
Is anyone reading this in close enough range to attend?!!! If so, leave a comment – or email tzeebra at yahoo dot com – and we’ll see if we can make this happen!
To learn more about this unique place, start here: Mindo Golden Brow
Zeebra Designs & Destinations 
Lisa, thanks for sharing these photos and your thoughts. I’m so sorry I had to miss this and all for naught because the English class was postponed, as it often is when
La Roulette gets a big batch of clientes either in the Restaurant, which was the case last night, or the hostal. But I, and I’m sure your readers, are happy you were able to go and share this unique experience!
Buenos dias, Cynthia! Thanks for your feedback, and your presence was definitely ‘missed’ last night. They (La Roulette gang) would probably appreciate experiencing the flowers as well!
Amazing! Beautiful photos, by the way.
Yes, it was an amazing experience! I’m glad you enjoyed the photos!
Beguiling pictures: I wish I lived close enough to see the flowers with you tonight.
I had no idea that dragon fruit comes from a night-blooming cereus. It was common to see stacks of the fruit for sale when we visited Hong Kong in 2005. Here’s what the relevant Wikipedia article says: “Pitahaya-producing cacti of the genus Hylocereus are originally native to Mexico. They were transplanted to Central America, probably by Europeans. They are cultivated in Southeast Asia, the United States, Israel, Australia, Cyprus and the Canary Islands.”
Your mention of being “the personal inspector of flowers” reminded me of Thoreau’s statement that “For many years I was self-appointed inspector of snow-storms and rain-storms, and did my duty faithfully….”
Thank you, Steve! You could teach us the best way to photograph these stunning flowers; that’s an art in itself, the contrast between extreme lights and darks, with the yellow/white details washing out.. so easy to see but so difficult to capture with the camera.
There’s a different pitaya in Nicaragua that is deep purple – inside and out. I enjoyed experimenting with different culinary options – one was nice w/pasta, but seeing purple-stained pasta was strange… tomato paste toned down that color!
https://playamart.wordpress.com/2012/07/14/food-im-ravenous-whats-cooking
Dragon fruit has begun to be available in ethnic groceries in Austin but the price is still high. In Eve’s home country of the Philippines, starfruit (also shown in your previous post) is so common and inexpensive that people feed it to pigs.
I don’t understand why starfruit isn’t more popular.. it has a clean unique taste/aroma, is pretty, versatile, etc buto many people leave the fruits on the trees for the birds…
I’ve seen starfruit at Whole Foods but it’s expensive, a couple of dollars for one little fruit. Maybe it’s not easy to cultivate it in the United States and it has to be imported.
sorry – i did not see this last comment. wow, expensive there, and people leave them for the wildlife in many gardens! they bloom and produce fruit year round; a never-ending suppy of ripe fruits…
Lisa, it is indeed magical. Thanks for sharing. Keith
I think they shoud string a set of hammocks thru the area and rent them during those rare periods of bloom! It would be wonderful to camp near a lovely flower all night long and monitor its evolution thru the night!
There is a plan.
I was just thrilled by this post! I first heard of Night Blooming Cereus on a trip through South America in 1978 but have never seen one and at some level wondered if it was just a fairy tale. But here they are! Real! And so very beautiful. I hope I get to see one myself one day.
Alison
Yes; that ‘rare night-blooming flower’ is sometimes mentioned in literature/movies, and we visualize one prized and highly-anticipated blossom – hopefully blooming when hoped so that it’s not missed… and here I am, invited to experience a bounty of flowers, with more opening tonight! I am blessed, and am happy to share that with others! Thank you!
Glorious photos. We have this flower in Jamaica, too. It is just like magic. I don’t think they would do very well in our garden though, which is rather hot in the middle of town…
Thanks, and it was a glorious evening! They do well here in the cloud forest, but another variety did/does very well on Nicaragua’s Pacific coast.. it might be worth an effort if you can find someone to share a cutting!
This reminded me of Claude Monet’s quote: “I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers.”
Oh yes, that’s a great quote, and those flowers definitely beg to have their portraits painted!
Stunning and how amazing Lisa!
Thanks! it rained tonight, so no new images – but we really needed that rain!
What a wonderful experience for you, Lisa. I’ve never seen the night-blooming cereaus, but I think your idea of hanging the hammock and just hanging out is perfect. You certainly were able to capture some of the plant’s magic even with such a short time to enjoy it — your photos are beautiful. I’m amazed by the quantity of blooms. I never would have expected that.
I have a Cereus peruvianus. I think the variety is monstrose, but I just call it The Blob. It’s the funniest plant ever. It’s thick, and impassive: slow growing and slow to bloom. Since about 2005, it’s only bloomed in 2011 and 2013. Like yours, it’s very fragrant, and opens quickly, but only has had one or two flowers with each bloom.
In my experience, the flower starts to open about 10 p.m., then fades by sunrise. The plant is such a huge, heavy thing now that I’d never be able to move it or evacuate with it, so I took some cuttings and repotted them. They’re doing well, so even if I have to leave the Blob, I’ll have some Blobettes to keep me company. Whether I’ll ever see it bloom again, I can’t say.
Here’s a photo of the bud and one of a flower about 6 a.m. Another of those “now you see it, now you don’t” experiences that nature loves to tease us with!
both images are stunning, and seeing a lone flower vs a hillside full might be n even-more memorable event! it’s highly personal…
the flower in your photo reminds me of a double clematis….
I’ve got a whole folder of photos, and I can’t quite figure out why I never did anything with them. I think it’s because I was focused on Godot and Godette, and since leaving my comment I also noticed that the 2011 bloom took place just a couple of days before my mother died. I managed to get the photos, but obviously just put them in a file and left them.
there’s that ‘theme’ popping up again, about the gift of a surprise thru Nature…
looking at your photos now probably gives you great comfort…
Extremely beautiful pictures Amiga. Hugs always. Oneanna65
thank you! how are you feeling? very well i hope!
Oh, Lisa, these photographs are stunning! What a lovely night for you! Thank you for sharing this experience!
thank you cindy! ,my friend cynthia and i were there again last night.. in the drizzle, but still stunning and magical!
Stunning Photographs. So well you have kept the Lighting angles to bring out the Beauty of this Awesome 1 Night Life Flower.
thank you so much, and those images would have been more challenging without the aid of my patient friends, who focused the beam then moved slightly to the side for the photos… it was trial and error, but we’re improving! we were there again last night!
What Sincerity you work
Stunning flowers and stunning photos. And what a nightly experience it must have been. I would have liked to join. 🙂
Thanks, Otto! We’re going to have to arrange a Blue Hour Workshop here, and time it during a flowering session!
That is a cool idea. 🙂
How lovely, Lisa! O to have been there! Thanks for the gift…
i suspect that you would be spellbound to witness this walk through the senses.. subtle sights, delicate aromas, background sounds of nature… and last night the added sensory of drizzle, which touched many senses!
You are right…I would be!
Wow.
Just wow.
ha! thanks, and i join you with that reaction!
Everything you post is an adventure in a place I’d never have experienced otherwise, so you are always full of “Wow!”
Absolutely beautiful photos. Thank you very much for sharing.
Lisa, we grow pitaya, too. The first time we saw them bloom at night it was amazing. The flowers are huge and they kind of smell like peanuts to me. Love your photos. Nature is full of surprises, right?
Wow! What astounding flowers and astounding photography to capture these elusive beauties! Thanks for sharing.
Heavenly!
Gorgeous, that is an amazing flower. Lovely images too.
beautiful. great work. I have a scientific blog of my own, but this really is art. I love it
Hi, and thanks for your comment.
Your webpage design is beautiful, and your story well written and very interesting. You have an amazing future, as your life is already amazing, so what else is there to do but shoot for those stars!