A rare cactus known as the “Queen of the Night” is preparing to bloom at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota — and the public can watch for free.
The Selenicereus, a night-blooming cactus, flowers just once a year for one night. Selby expects the bloom sometime in early June but can’t confirm the exact date until the buds are nearly ready. Botanists check daily, then announce the bloom on social media the day it happens.
Once confirmed, the gardens will host a free viewing from 7 to 11 p.m. at their downtown Sarasota campus. Visitors are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, flashlights, and cameras. Food and drinks will be available, and the bloom will also be live-streamed on Facebook.
The cactus drew about 400 people last year. Unlike the foul-smelling corpse flower, this bloom is known for its beauty and soft scent. The plant blooms at night to avoid heat and attracts nighttime pollinators like moths.
Be sure to follow Selby Gardens online — this fleeting floral show lasts only a few hours.
