night bloomer

Last week I noticed this cactus over by the studio. It had some small buds on it. This is cactus blooming season and it really is pretty incredible to see some of these strange, prickly looking plants bloom ever so beautifully. This one had not ever bloomed since we have lived here. On tuesday, I went out there and saw that the buds were  looking like this.

 Isn't it fascinating that this delicate looking blossom emerges from all those spines?

 I love the contrast of the red against the green cactus itself.

Equally fascinating is how randomly a flower bud protrudes out of those spikey nodules. I'm pretty good with my cacti terminology, aren't I?

They really are pretty when you look at them closely. I showed Chuck how big the buds had gotten. He wondered if this was one of the cacti that bloom at night? I've seen them in our neighborhood during the day, so I said I wasn't sure. I thought that the ones that bloom at night don't stay blooming throughout the day. But, we are still a bit in the dark about all these different cactus varieties.

 Literally. We are in the dark. He came in later that night with his flashlight (we don't go out at night without it after the gila adventure) and told me to come take a look at something. "Do I need protective gear?" I asked. "Nope, just your camera", he said.

And there, in the dark of the night, with just the light from the flashlight, was this beauty.

Oh yes. There they are. Both of those buds turned into giant blossoms. This photo is with the camera and flash.

This one too. Isn't that amazing? How pretty can a cactus bloom get?

Here are the outer red petals. So gorgeous. And, in contrast to the sharp, unforgiving-to-your-finger, spikes on the plant itself, these petals are smooth and soft as silk.

The next day they were still blooming.

 And the detail inside is delicate and interesting too.

So very pretty. And the scent. Wow, I was very surprised. It is rather sweet and quite nice.

Oh my goodness. I can't get over how big and lush these blossoms are.

I think I might be loving some of these cacti after all. Although, lilacs still have a special place in my heart.

Now, the problem is, we don't know what this cactus is called. I tried to google it and found some that had the same flower but the cactus plant itself was completely different. So, for now it is a mystery. I'm hoping that some of our Arizona relatives, that I know check in on my blog for wild animal sightings, will know what it is called and perhaps tell me.

A pleasant surprise in the yard compared to the nubby gila creature last week. A constant thrill this Arizona yard is I tell ya! Thrill can be interpreted many different ways.