Botanists at the Cambridge University Botanic Garden spotted a flowerbud of the rare plant last week and say it is likely to bloom overnight in the next few days.
A rare Amazonian cactus, the
Selenicereus wittii, is about to bloom for the first time in the UK at the Cambridge University Botanical Garden (CUBG). The rather unorthodox blooming experience of the moonlight cactus is currently being streamed on a webcam, and when it flowers – expected some time this weekend – it will show a rare glimpse into the 12-hour blooming period, which normally starts at sunset and is all over by sunrise.
“I’m so excited to see and share this most unusual flowering. It’s very rare to have this plant in our collection and we believe this is the first time the Moonflower has flowered in the UK,” said Alex Summers, Glasshouse Supervisor at the CUBG in a news release.