Around the world Epyphyllum oxypetalum flower incisively during the full moon of summer
HAWAII , HONOLULU , SEPTEMBER 1981 …… . I attend college in Hawaii . ( yeah , I fuck ) anyway … there is this drive in the high mountain range of mountains that spits the island of Oahu in one-half . The mass are mostly a state green with lead and some residences , and they reach tall into the sky with some close spires permanently embedded in the clouds . And .. you could motor up there . It rains frequently everyday in the mountains of Hawaii , and as the sun sets on the sea far below , the beams shoot directly up to the misty drop-off and canon and show us why Hawaii is known as the rainbow body politic although the waterfall state may have been more appropriate since the ridges in these mountains produce one C on waterfalls , an incredible mint . Imagine … velvet-textured green steeple , dozens of longsighted , longsighted long waterfalls , fragrant ginger blossoms , and this is truly paradise .
If you are ever in Hawaii , you must rent a car and tug into these mountain . Tantalus Drive starts off as a typical residential Honolulu road , near a high schoolhouse and home , but shortly after , one leaves the sensory faculty of culture , lights and dealings , and the driving experience becomes a humanity of flit jewel - comparable birds , ytopical rainforest most , marvellous tree and vines , and fragrant tropic flowers in the quest mist of the canyons . Tantalus takes you to the cloud , it twists and turns through the canyon and velvet green spires of the great deal .
I commemorate this so well , the nerveless , moist melody , the unbelievable views of the aqua tinge Pacific sea with the miniature catamaran in he distance full of luau - plumped tourer . Here , 2000 feet above the Vegan - cape of Waikiki one is leave with quiet . twitter honey creepers pile up nectar high up in the tree among the ancient Koas and Acacias as insects and butterflies add to the whispering of the leaves in the trade winds . Solitude is rare and wanted .
my favorite time for a Tantalus movement was at night . Tunnels , yeah , tunnel , we ’re pruned into the dangle leaf and dense roots of the Epyphyllum oxypetalum , the Night Blooming Cereus which grow thickly on the strong limbs of trees that grow grim over the road . On some turn , you could grab the roots if you were in a convertible . Not aboriginal to Hawaii like most of not all of the iconic plant that one recollect of when one visualise Hawaiian flowers like Anthuriams , Plumeria or Hibiscus , these too were acquaint into this fragile ecosystem . The Night Blooming Cereus is still beautiful in bloom though , it soak the air with its exotic fragrancy , a strange , think not unpleasant sweet scent that is both minty and creamy , almost soil - like in its earthyness . The white peppiness that often company it in the mountains was warm smelling and often advance the fragrance struggle since it grew everywhere and was most common under the High Tension wire which bring electricity over the mountains to the North Shore of the island .
now , today , in my backyard greenhouse in Worcester Massachusetts , I produce Epyphyllum oxypetalum too . It flourish in a giant clay bathing tub on a shelf in the center of the nursery . Its long whip - like appendages raise out and over the support complex body part of the glasshouse in long , graceful seven foot arches , but basically expect like nothing much , until it bloom . An even which is magical itself .
if it wasn;t for the full moon I would not be prompt . Why ? Well , enigmatically enough , the industrial plant flower only in the summertime , on , or around a full moon , presumptively so that night pollenators like yield bats and moth can see the dinnerplate sized blossoms . A perfect cause to plan a party around . We never have , but it sounds good and many garden writers say that they do of course . For us , it ’s more like drive home from Target , we ’ll say “ wow , search at that full moonshine ! ’ . Then I ’ll answer , I wonder if the Night Blooming Cereus is in bloom ? … . ” Later that even the dogs get locked in the spare bedroom ( it ’s skunk time of year so the doggy door has a curfew at 8:00 pm ) and we slip into impudent flops and proceed with flashlights in deal out back to the nursery . As we mistreat through the cold dewey grass of high summertime and approach the glasshouse , we commonly can smack the blossom from outside . Since our plant has a premature issue , it sometimes flower the dark before the full moon from excitement or something , so often , all we find are seven wilted spent flowers , and just two in full flower . As we did this week .
Plants that react to day duration to trigger inflorescence , like poinsettia , clivia and the like , all call for the moon cycles or day length round to take place without interference of a street Inner Light , or a lamp from another elbow room . That is way it is so difficult to blossom a Christmas cactus indoors , at Christmas . Nature just say them when to flower .
A last thought … .. on this evening in August , around the earth , there are others having a chicken feed of wine-colored at midnight in this vivid moonlight , smelling the gargantuan flowers of their night flower cereus . It may be a Botanic Garden in London , a flack escape valve overlooking a noisy alley in New York City , a rooftop garden in Tokyo , a backyard in Brazil , a screened porch in Bangladesh or a winding route high in the reinforced of Hawaii , where there might even be four college small fry in a 1981 Fiat wanderer zooming along saying , Whoa … What ’s that smell dude ?
