night-blooming cereus

[ nahyt-bloo-ming ]

noun

1. any of various cacti of the genera Hylocereus, Peniocereus, Nyctocereus, or Selenicereus, having large, usually white flowers that open at night.

night-blooming cereus

noun

1. any of several cacti of the genera Hylocereus, Selenicereus, etc, having large fragrant flowers that open at night

Word History and Origins

Origin of night-blooming cereus¹

First recorded in 1800–10

Example Sentences

I asked Hetrick why my night-blooming cereus, large and established, is so shy to bloom.

From Washington Post

Workers were trying to preserve agave, ocotillo and various cactuses including saguaro, fishhook, night-blooming cereus, senita, barrel, hedgehog and the park’s namesake Organ Pipe, he said.

From Los Angeles Times

Some types of night-blooming cereus can be even more dramatic; there’s one with even larger blooms, up to a foot across.

From Washington Times

I think of the night-blooming cereus, a plant that looks like a leathery weed most of the year.

From Time

In describing the importance of journey in his pieces, Turrell mentions a night-blooming cereus known as the Queen of the Night.

From New York Times