Only heard about this when leafing through the Mail on Monday, but it seems that Cambridge University Botanic Gardens have quite a coup on their hands, managing to flower a rare species of Selenicereus.
For those with short memories, they are the people who managed to flower a mystery Agave back in 2018 or so and with this, it looks like they've managed to capture lightning in the bottle again with this epic Queen Of The Night bloom.
My own Selenicereus, the much more hardy, Selenicereus Spinulosus, flowered for me back in 1998, the same year my Nan passed on. Opened about 7pm for me, and was fully out by 10pm. I didn't have a picture then, pre digital, but can equate with Cambridge's epic achievement.
For those who want to read a good account of their achievement, then its best to go to the source. The Mail is too short for much and I resent giving the Grauniad any sort of income. Besides its well written and explains a lot.
Selenicereus or Strophocactus Wittii* is one of those climbing cacti from the tropics, that require a shed load of room and quite a bit of winter heat. Can remember a painting in Garden Magazine (by Margaret Mee**) way back in a plants of the Amazon article.
They are all night flowering species and are either bat or hawkmoth pollinated. The flowers will last for one night and are often dead by morning. All night flowerers seem to have a strong vanilla scent about them. I don't remember what my smelt of, but can vouch from similar night bloomers that its a common scent.
There is an absolutely massive livestream alluded to in the press release that is now unavailable but there is a much more accessible time lapse of the flowering, here for anyone who wants to have a look.
* There is some confusion whether this is still a Strophocactus or is now part of Selenicereus proper. Recent genetics reckon that Strophocactus is still valid but not monophyletic.
** Did a search for the picture itself and found there was a short film describing it, instead.
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