Bloom Watch #4

Rebel Flower

Are you serious?! Oh, it’s cereus all right!

Gardens Manager, Chris Kibler, was taken aback with astonishment this morning when he discovered that one of the Peniocereus greggii had rapidly grown overnight, reaching its full bloom stage. Not to worry, the rest of the buds are on track to mass bloom in roughly 2-3 weeks. But as always, the unpredictable nature of these special plants is keeping us on our toes.

We’ve nicknamed this lone bud the “rebel flower” due to its unconventional blooming time compared to the other buds. This early bird bud stands as a symbol of unyielding resilience and individuality amidst the garden’s lush tapestry.

Having reached its max, this lone adventurer is ready to blossom this evening. Located by the Sundial Plaza, this bud has outgrown its neighbor as well as the other buds throughout Tohono Chul (in the image below, note the size difference between the two buds). The “rebel flower” will begin to open at dusk and will still be in bloom by sunrise Thursday morning. Be sure to take a look if you happen to be strolling through the gardens today or tomorrow.  

While the heat of summer and arid conditions have slowed down the other blooms, our dedicated gardening team is diligently watering them once per week, ensuring their vitality as they flourish into majestic Queens. Note their current sizes in the images below. As you can see, they have some growing to do!

Seeking Royal Seeds Update

Last August we put the call out to the community asking for donations of ripe fruit from local Peniocereus greggii. Six different people brought us bags of this special fruit. They came from all around town, adding to the genetic diversity of our grow outs. To our amazement, we received thousands of fresh seeds. We want to say thank you! 

We are beginning to plant last fall’s donated seeds right now! On May 31st we planted the first batch of donated Peniocereus greggii seeds. We find that spring and summer are the best times to start our cactus seeds in the greenhouse. They like it warm! You can use a heater or plant them indoors by a window as well, but waiting till the warm season saves resources and can prevent overwatering that might cause cactus seeds to rot. 

We’re keeping seeds from each donor in separate seed packets and tracking which donated seeds we plant out. This way we may observe unique traits as they grow and potentially attribute them to where the seeds were collected. After a few years of nurturing, we’ll be able to provide them to Tohono Chul’s Gardens Team and offer them back to our community! 

By Tracey Till, Propagation Associate

Don’t miss the big night! Sign up for Bloom Watch emails here. Be sure you select “Bloom Watch” on the dropdown menu!

Bloom Watch #2

Slow & Steady

Garden member Beverly’s, Queen (pictured below) surprised her when it bloomed last Friday night; a few weeks earlier than last year. She says she’s going to watch closely as the fruits develop over the following months. Every year there are early birds like this that bloom and remind us that summer is nearly here. 

Back at Tohono Chul, the Queens are growing incrementally. Some of the tiny, fuzzy buds are becoming cylindrical as they become new cactus arms while other buds are becoming delicately pointy and growing long white hair as they prepare to become regal flowers.   

Bloom Watch is a delightful chance to take a magnifying glass to these plants. But doing that alone wouldn’t give you the whole picture of who they are.  

The Queen of the Night, Peniocereus greggii, is more than just a species, but a plant community, or more specifically, a population. A population is made up of organisms of a species that live in the same place at the same time and interbreed. We can reflect on this as we prepare to observe the communal adaptation of synchronous flowering.

If you look closely, you can see in the photos below of flower buds from different Queens taken throughout the garden at the same time that the buds are at different stages of development. However, the plants with bigger buds need to wait for most in their area to catch up. At least if they want to be successfully cross-pollinated by desert insects and bats. But why? In the wild, these plants can be growing miles apart. By synchronizing their efforts, they can increase the likelihood that a pollinator will make it from one individual to the next.  

But this begs the question, why not just self-pollinate in that case? Then you’d be sure to produce seeds right?  

There’s no conclusive answer. However, the benefits to the plant population might outweigh the benefit of an individual’s success. Cross-pollination produces genetically diverse seeds that may be more likely to adapt to variable environmental conditions. If you walk along the Desert View Trail and see the Queens, their diversity is evident in their distinct branching patterns and shapes of their stems. When Bloom Night comes, you may notice the subtle differences in flower color, size, and shape between individuals.  

In addition to genetic diversity, the higher number of seeds produced at once can increase the chance of their successful germination the next time the weather is just right. Humidity in the desert is rare and it’s necessary for cactus embryos to pop out of their seeds and start to grow. The synchronized bloom events may have evolved to give the next generation of cacti a better chance. 

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Bloom Watch #1

The Queen is Coming

Chris Kibler, Gardens Manager at Tohono Chul, is watching the Queen of the Night cacti and measuring the flower buds at least twice a week now. Most of them are showing new growth thanks to the plentiful winter rains we received. As of today, Chris has found fifteen Peniocereus greggii flower buds; some others are too small to tell. Four of the buds are located right outside the Children’s Garden near the Desert View Trail.

The fuzzy white branch tips and buds are the telltale signs of new growth beginning. The Queen is waking up.

Aside from these night-blooming cereus buds, The North Loop is brimming with a vibrant spectrum of cactus blossoms. We highly advise taking a leisurely stroll while you await the arrival of The Queen!

Rain, surprise. 
Snowy fruit. 
Bathing in the scent. 
Beetles hide in prickly pear blossoms,  
Goldfinch gather chia seeds. 
Quails hurry, lizards lounge. 
The Queen stretches; her white hair begins to grow.

By Tracey Till, Propagation Associate

We are estimating about 4 to 6 weeks away from the big night! 
Stay tuned for weekly updates.

Sign up for Bloom Watch emails here. Be sure you select “Bloom Watch” on the dropdown menu!

Bloom Watch #3 – Waiting Patiently

This week has been interesting, if not unusual. Although most of the buds are still in stall status, the Queen has pulled a few surprises. First of all, as of the morning of June 19 she has allowed five flowers to move to 120mm and nine to move 80mm. Which means there were fourteen flowers that bloomed before Monday, June 24. As usual, she finds a way to aggravate me and also make me scratch my head. I have one plant that tried to make five flowers, but just gave up and aborted them. She is growing, but not blooming this year. I have two plants that haven’t bloomed for several years (one hadn’t bloomed for four years and the other for thirteen years) that went from no buds to stall status in a week! It seems a little late for her to start and very fast to catch up with the rest. Just another way for the Queen to insure I know she is in charge of this event, not me.

 
Peniocereus greggii

Peniocereus greggii

Peniocereus fosterianus

 

Update: There was one flower on the June 20, one on the June 21, nine on the June 22, and three on the June 23.

 
Peniocereus oaxacensis

Peniocereus oaxacensis

Peniocereus cuixmalensis

 

In the Queen’s Courtn Peniocereus serpentinus continues to bloom. She had four flowers this week! The P. oaxacensis had three flowers on three plants and is still producing more buds. My P. cuixmalensis has two buds. This will be her first year and I’m excited to see what her blooms will look like. My P. fosterianus has twenty buds, slightly down from last year, but it will still be beautiful.  

Until Next Time – Lee Mason, Director of General Services, Tohono Chul

Bloom Watch #2 – Slow, but Steady

This week has been overall pretty slow. There have been a few new buds and a few that gave up and went away. This is normal for her and she will continue with this for the next week or two. On Saturday, June 1 we had one flower. She hit stall size last Wednesday and never bothered to slow down. I have heard that there are other early blooms out there and I would like to see the pictures, so please send them my way along with the date of bloom.  Although it seems early, we did have two flowers on June 3 last year. Yesterday there were a moderate number in stall status, but most range in size from fuzz balls to small. Only time will tell if the Queen will hold these stalls or accelerate to bloom.

With the warm weather most of the plants have started to grow and with luck I can keep the rodents away from them. I am replacing a few plants that didn’t make it for one reason or another.

In the Queen’s Court the P. fosterianus, P. cuixmalensis, and P. oaxacensis buds continue to grow and with a little luck will bloom on the same night so everyone can see them. It doesn’t generally happen, but I always hope.

When the Queen does choose to show her glory remember to bring a flash light and closed-toe shoes. The trails are marked with luminarias, and only this year we are using solar lights instead of candles or oil lamps. Each plant with a flower will also be marked with a different colored bag. The Garden Bistro will have refreshments available and I will let you know what that will consist of as we get closer. All in all it will be a fun night as always.

 

Until Next Time – Lee Mason, Director of General Services, Tohono Chul

Bloom Watch #2 – A Blooming Queen’s Court

Hello Everyone,

The Queen is doing her thing, her way, as she always does. This week she has decided to drop some buds that she determined are not supportable. The majority of what is left are in a medium growth range, while some are in stall. I did notice a few fuzzes that may develop into flowers, as well as lots of new stem growth. A few of the reliable plants are pulling their resources back to the tuber to regenerate. Hopefully they will start again later this summer and be ready for next year. This is a normal occurrence that we see every year on a few plants that have been going strong for several years. My observation is she gets tired and just wants a rest.

P. tepalcatepecanus

P. oaxacensis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Queen’s Court had some blooms. The P. tepalcatepecanus had one flower on the May 25 and then decided to abort the rest of the buds. Mine at home is just starting to bud, so maybe the one here at Tohono Chul will try again. The P. fosterianus had one on May 26 and still has more coming. The P. oaxacensis had two flowers on May 27 and has a few buds left. The P. serpentinus on the grounds has stopped producing buds, but the plant in the pot has three that will go in the next few days. The one at my home already had one flower on May 30.

 

P. fosterianus

That’s it for now, but it is almost time for me to start daily walks to visit the Queen and try to keep up with her moody progress. Talk to you all soon and have a good weekend.

 

Until Next Time – Lee Mason, Director of General Services, Tohono Chul

Bloom Watch #5 – Keeping Us Captivated

I just got back from talking with the Queen and she is displaying her usual attitude. She has let me know that Bloom Night will happen when she is darn, good and ready. One flower will bloom tonight and another tomorrow, with the rest of the holding buds still in stall status.

I believe she is showing some stress from this extensive heat, because even with her desert fortitude, she has decided to cut her losses and let four buds go. Even with supplemental watering it is getting the best of her. I was hoping that the threat of storms earlier this week would help make up her mind, however it didn’t happen. I have long thought the stall break was attached to a storm event, but have not been able to pin down exactly what in the storm itself triggers the move. I ordered some new test equipment to more closely monitor all the weather conditions as potential trigger factors. As I have talked about before, it has to be a combination of weather-related factors. It is unlikely that the water from the storm is the trigger or ours would have already bloomed, as we soak the plants twice a week this time of year. So when the new test equipment comes, we will start a new round of data collection.

As for the rest of the Queens court, two flowers will go tomorrow on the P. tepalcatepecanus and several more appear to be on the move. The P. oaxacensis has one very close and another on the move. I’m not sure of the size of the bloom as this will be my first time seeing it. The P. fosterianus is also a mystery. The bud bases appear to be getting larger, but the flower portion is still small. It might be the way she does it, I’m not sure, but will know after this year. I will get pictures and send them along next week.

Right now it appears that Bloom Night will slip into July, but keep watching as sometimes she likes to show me she is still in charge.

Until Next Time – Lee Mason, Director of General Services, Tohono Chul

Bloom Watch #3 – A Few Bloomed Too Soon

Sorry for the delay in this update I’ve been busier than a one armed paper hanger. I have however been making daily checks on the Queen and she is up to her old tricks.

Since my last update there have been 7 flowers and will likely be 2 more within the next week. The ones I told you were at stall size last time never stalled, but just went straight to bloom. It has been a while since I have seen that, but she did it because I wasn’t checking every day and wanted to get me. I caught her and have been checking every day since and now she is behaving herself. There are a bunch of buds in stall status and quite a few small ones left to go. Hope the stalls just wait for the smalls.

I’ve been watching the P. fosterianus and the P. tepalcatepecanus for their bloom, but both are still holding. The buds on both of those are very slow growing and because this will be the first bloom of the P. fosterianus for me I’m not sure how big they will get. I did notice last Friday that the P. oaxacensis is starting to bud up. This will be another first timer for me. Maybe they will hold for Bloom Night.

You will hear from me next week unless something really unexpected happens. I don’t believe they can get there before next week even if they start now.

Until Next Time – Lee Mason, Director of General Services, Tohono Chul

Bloom Watch #1 – Hope Awakens

Hello everyone. Hope you all had a good fall and winter. Now that spring is giving way to summer the Queen is waking up and preparing for another season of ups and downs. Overall the collection looks pretty good, although a few have provided snacks for pack-rats. I believe they will recover and maybe even make a flower or two.

I started checking plants two weeks ago and only found one with the telltale fuzzy spots telling me the Queen is awake. The photos featured below show her progress. She now has ten buds in various stages from fresh fuzz to almost stall size. Looking at all the plants every couple of days has provided an ever increasing number of buds.

This could be an interesting year for the Queen, but I guess I say that every year. I’m ready for the excitement and aggravation that will culminate for the wonderful night of Bloom Night. Hope all of you will put up with my stories and be ready for the night and I look forward to seeing you all at the event.

I will report again in a couple of weeks unless the Queen makes a big ruckus and provides me with some extra interesting tidbits!

Until Next Time – Lee Mason, Director of General Services, Tohono Chul