Read more about what inspired Ken Druse and Ellen Hoverkamp to create these beautiful images for their new book, Natural Companions, in "Ken Druse's Inspiration Book."
Night Blooming
After darkness falls, the lights come out, with enchanting varieties of evening time flora like this night-blooming cereus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum), which usually opens for just one late-summer evening every year. (Other plants that blossom at night—moonflower or Cestrum nocturnum, say—open with more frequency.) Its fragrant blossoms have a particular pungency that attracts the nocturnal bats who pollinate it.
1. An otherworldly, magical-looking plant whose flowers can get as big as dinner plates, night-blooming cereus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) requires patience, as it opens infrequently, usually just once a year in late summer. It’s worth the wait, however, as the multiple blossoms—upward of 15 on a mature plant—perfume the night air with a heady fragrance.
