7 Incredible Nightblooming Cacti (Pictures and Identification)

By Calin Oancea

4/18/20245 min read

As the sun goes down and night begins, amazing night-blooming cacti with unique flowers and features raise the attention of the gardeners. In this helpful article with amazing images, we will go through the top 7 of our favorite cactus plants that bloom at night.

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a white nightblooming flower with a green leafes
a white nightblooming flower with a green leafes
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a flowering cactus that is called Peruvian Apple cactus
a flowering cactus that is called Peruvian Apple cactus

Peruvian Apple Cactus

Distinct for its ability to endure colder temperatures, the Peruvian Apple Cactus unveils pink-and-white blooms under the night sky. Thriving in USDA hardiness zones 8 through 11, its overall plant structure doesn't differ much from the Queen of the Night and Cereus Jamacaru.

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a white nightblooming cactus flower on a green leafy plant which is called Hooker's Orchid Cactus
a white nightblooming cactus flower on a green leafy plant which is called Hooker's Orchid Cactus

Hooker's Orchid Cactus

Hooker's Orchid Cactus, also known as Epiphyllum hookeri has amazing white colored flowers that bloom in the night. Once they do, the skinny white petals distinctively mark their identity. This night bloomer is a South American cactus and is similar to multiple cacti that bloom at night.

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a night flowering cactus plant with white flowers that is called Quen of the Night
a night flowering cactus plant with white flowers that is called Quen of the Night

Queen of the Night

The Queens of the Nights are night-blooming and relatively high types of American cacti, with their large, fragrant, white flowers unfolding under the moonlight, casting a magical ambiance. Despite its royal appearance, it is quite hardy, but it also counts to the cacti and succulents that require little attention, the flowering plant can also be grown as an indoor cactus.​

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Fishbone Cactus

A night-bloomer with an interesting appeal, Selenicereus anthocyanins, known as Fishbone Cactus, has a zig-zag pattern in its stems which makes the plant look like the bones of a fish with a relatively tiny cactus body. The geometry of its form adds a tropical yet exotic touch to your garden during the day while blooming with big white-purple blooms at night.

a bunch of purple nightblooming flowers that are growing on the Fishbone Cactus
a bunch of purple nightblooming flowers that are growing on the Fishbone Cactus
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a white and yellow dragonfruit flower
a white and yellow dragonfruit flower

You probably know about the dragon fruit but did you know that it is a tall cactus plant with nightblooming flowers? Often a trellis companion, this cactus, similar to Cereus Jamacaru in its night-blooming habit, reaches out with its sprawling steems to the sky, like most other outdoor cacti

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Dragonfruit

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Cereus Jamacaru

Native to Brazil, Cereus jamacaru or Cardeiro, the minimal care cactus, demands less water than other species of cacti. Its slender, towering form stands as a nocturnal beacon when the succulent is in bloom, a sight that shares the night sky with the shorter but sturdy Cereus peruvianus, both heralding the calm of the night with their white blossoms.​

Cereus jamacaru cactus flowering in the darkness
Cereus jamacaru cactus flowering in the darkness
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Two white flowers on a cactus plant that is called sherpent cactus
Two white flowers on a cactus plant that is called sherpent cactus

Serpent Cactus

As darkness blankets the sky, Serpent's white night-blooming flowers emerge as nocturnal jewels which add wonderful color to the exterior cactus garden at night. These cacti with a dark green color and long leaves around their flowers have their seasonality in April and May with their white cactus spines.

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Sources

Nature and Sustainability uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies to support the facts we describe in our articles. Please read our editorial policy to learn more about how we keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Peruvian Apple Cactus: Cereus repandus - Wikipedia

  2. Hooker's Orchid Cactus: Epiphyllum hookeri - Wikipedia

  3. Queen of The Night: Epiphyllum oxypetalum | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox (ncsu.edu)

  4. Fishbone Cactus: How to Grow & Care for Fishbone Cactus (thespruce.com)

  5. Dragon Fruit Cactus: Dragon Fruit: How to Grow and Care with Success (gardenia.net)

  6. Cerus Jamaicu: Selenicereus undatus | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox (ncsu.edu)

  7. Serpent Cactus (Snake Cactus): Snake cactus - Wikipedia

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Calin Oancea
Calin Oancea
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Calin is in the garden industry for 5 years now and knows a lot about gardening and plants. He is the owner of this website and responsible for most of the content.