Bakawali Flower

The other day, my sister called me to inform that the Bakawali flowers at her house would be blooming that night.  (She had witnessed the blooms many times before to notice the signs.)


So at about 10.00 p.m. that night I visited her armed with my camera.  It was truly a beautiful sight.

I counted a total of 15 flowers in bloom with many more buds in various stages of development.

As the flower only blooms at night and then only lasts a few hours, many people have never seen it.

Its nocturnal blooming has given rise to many myths and legends about the plant. 

Malaysians of Chinese origin belief that the plant brings good luck and they often tie pieces of red ribbons around each leaf. 

The blooms are a harbinger of good fortune and if the plant wilts or dies it foretells that ill fortune is to follow.

The Malays belief in the presence of a guardian (a nymph or bunian) when the flowers bloom.

I must have been truly lucky to be blessed with the sight of so many blooms all in one night.

Epiphyllum oxypetalum (Dutchman's Pipe, kardable, Night Queen or Gul-e-Bakawali) is a species of cactus and one of the most cultivated species in the genus. It is also referred to as Night blooming Cereus and often confused with species of Selenicereus. (Wikipedia.org)

The plant is widely cultivated all over the world that its origins are quite obscure although Wikipedia does mention its being Sri Lankan in origin. 

Easily cultivated this fast growing plant needs compost containing plenty of humus and sufficient moisture. It can be grown in semi-shade or full sun.