Bloom Watch 2024
Each year for one evening only, Tohono Chul opens its doors to visitors from all around the world to experience the mystery, majesty, and beauty of the Queen of the Night, the night-blooming cereus, Peniocereus greggii.
Because the mass blooming of the Queen of the Night is hard to predict, sometimes there are as little as a few hours between the announcement of Bloom Night and Bloom Night itself.
Get Updates with the Bloom Watch Newsletter!
The best way to ensure you don’t miss Bloom Night is by subscribing to Bloom Watch email updates. Bloom Watch will inform you of the progress of the blossoms right up to the day we announce Bloom Night. Sign up today!
Once you’ve entered your email address, click continue and then select the Bloom Watch email list from the drop-down menu.
Members Only
This year, Bloom Night is an exclusive members-only event. Your support helps preserve the Desert View Trail and our Peniocereus greggii collection while we work to ensure proper pollination of these special plants.
Don’t miss out! Become a member today and experience this exclusive evening with the Queen of the Night.
Questions? See below for answers to frequently asked questions.
Bloom Night Membership FAQs
Why is Bloom Night Members Only this year?
This year Bloom Night will be a members only event in order to provide a more intimate and enjoyable experience for attendees. By limiting the number of guests, we can better preserve the Desert View Trail and our Peniocereus greggii collection. Fewer people on the trail means less disturbance, creating a peaceful space for both guests and the nocturnal insects that pollinate the Queens. Your membership support is crucial for caring for these special plants and maintaining our gardens.
Can I bring someone with me who is not a member?
Please check your membership level to see if it includes additional guest allowances. If not, consider upgrading to a dual or family membership so you can bring a friend or family member along. If they love Tohono Chul and enjoy the event, encourage them to become a member to enjoy exclusive access to future events and a variety of benefits year-round.
How will becoming a member benefit me in the long run?
Becoming a member not only grants you access to exclusive events like Bloom Night but also provides numerous benefits such as discounts, early access to plant sales, free daily admission, and reciprocal admissions at other public gardens throughout the country. Your support helps us maintain the garden and its collections for future generations.
What is the cost of membership?
Membership costs vary depending on the level and benefits. Please visit our website or the admissions office for detailed information on membership options and pricing.
How do I prove my membership status at the event?
Please bring your membership card or a digital proof of membership on your phone such as a confirmation email or receipt. Our staff will check your membership status at the entrance.
What if I forget my membership card?
If you forget your membership card, we can look up your membership status in our system.
What if I just became a member—can I still attend?
Yes, new members are welcome and encouraged to attend Bloom Night! If you’ve just signed up and haven’t received your membership card yet, simply bring your membership confirmation email or receipt for entry. You don’t need to print it; showing it on your phone or smart device is perfectly fine.
Will there be another opportunity to see the blooms if I’m not a member?
Yes, the morning after Bloom Night we will open early at 6 am to the general public. Daily admission fees apply.
Can I use a guest pass or reciprocal admission from another garden to enter Bloom Night?
Guest passes and reciprocal admission benefits are not valid for special events.
Bloom Watch Diaries
Follow the Queen’s progress with the Bloom Watch Diaries! The blog will be updated with regular updates on her growth, reflections about the desert, and estimates about the Queen’s arrival.
July 5, 2024
Bloom Watch #3
A Royal Growth Spurt
JUNE 27, 2024
Bloom Watch #2
Beneath the Surface
JUNE 21, 2024
Bloom Watch #1
All Hail the Queen
JUNE 6, 2024
Check out these videos of Bloom Night!
Timelapse footage provided by Arizona Daily Star
Timelapse footage provided by Stephen Buchmann
Bloom Night | Quick Tips & Info
IF YOU GO
- Wear comfortable, closed-toed walking shoes and outdoor clothing.
- Bring a flashlight and a water bottle
- Bring a camera with a flash
- Bloom Night is considered a special event and guest passes are not eligible to use.
- Bloom Night is a members-only event this year. Not a Member? Become one here or at Admissions on the night of the event!
THE FACTS
- The majority of flowers bloom the same evening usually between late May and Mid-July.
- Tohono Chul has the largest private collection of Night Blooming Cereus in the world.
- Researchers still don’t know how the flowers know when to bloom en masse.
- Each year 1,500 to 2,500 people attend Bloom Night.
- Flowers start opening at 6 pm and are in full bloom by 9 pm.
Queen of the Night Coloring Sheet
Courtesy of Adela Antoinette
Adela Antoinette has a beautiful publication in honor of Bloom Night: Cacti Oasis coloring book, and she has provided her Queen of the Night coloring page here just for us!
Cacti Oasis Coloring Book: Cacti & Succulents is a Sonoran desert-themed, illustrated coloring book filled with cacti & succulents.
“I want to share my love and passion with those who have just as much love for Sonoran botany as much as I do.” – Adela Antionette
Adela Antoinette (She/Her) is a published illustrator, designer, and makeup artist. As a southwest-born desert dweller, Antoinette’s work primarily centers on Sonoran Desert flora but fluctuates within botany through visiting different regions across the states. She specializes in various traditional mediums including her favorite, watercolor in which she has taught in workshops and classes at the Denali Education Center and The Drawing Studio. Her work has been displayed in various galleries in Arizona, Alaska, and California. Antoinette studied illustration and design at the University of Arizona, receiving her degree in Visual Communication. She is a Tucson, Arizona artist currently living in New York City.
It has a hallowed place in Tohono O’odham storytelling, has inspired folk songs, paintings, thousands of photographs, and even a perfume. The Night Blooming Cereus, Peniocereus greggi, the aptly nick-named “The Queen of the Night”, creates an elusive flower, blooming en masse only one night of the year. Opening slowly at dusk the beautiful palm-sized flower is wilted within a few hours of sunrise.
Tohono Chul, a non-profit botanical garden and nature preserve, on Tucson’s northwest side, has the largest private collection of Peniocereus greggi in the world. Native to Southwestern North America, the cactus looks like a bunch of dead sticks most of the year, only revealing its spectacular flower in the heat of the early Tucson summer.
Since the cactus cannot self-pollinate, the plants must bloom on the same evening to ensure pollination, usually by hawk moths. The more blooms that are open, the greater the chances of pollination. The true mystery of the Night Blooming Cereus is how the majority know when to bloom.
“We’ve been studying the NBC for over 20 years now and we still don’t know what triggers the bloom. The best we can figure is there is some type of chemical communication amongst the cacti” says Lee Mason, former Director of General Services for Tohono Chul.
Tohono Chul planted and cultivated many of the cacti, others grew naturally on the grounds creating an amazing collection. Thinking it was a shame that the gardens were closed while these rare flowers were blooming, it was decided to stay open late for a few volunteers and their friends. It’s since turned into an annual event with thousands of people attending each year.
And that’s no small feat considering Bloom Night cannot be called until between 12 pm and 4 pm the day of the bloom. “We usually have a pretty good indication within a few days of the bloom, but they’ve tricked us before so we wait until we’re absolutely positive to make the call”, says Mason.
Upon the official bloom call, Tohono Chul galvanizes its forces, contacting dozens of volunteers to help light the desert paths and organize tours, the media is contacted and local news crews descend upon the Park and the local populace changes its dinner plans to attend.
“It’s incredible how the entire community immediately reacts once Bloom Night is called, “ says Marcia Ring, Tohono Chul’s former Marketing Manager, “This has truly become the quintessential summer event in Tucson, which, considering the uniqueness and beauty of the bloom, isn’t really surprising”.