NBC ... again!

  Our Night Blooming Cereus just bloomed the first week of June. Now, just two months later, it's blooming again.

 Four flowers opened last evening (08/02/22). This one is the same as the bud pictured below, only a few hours earlier.

 Those pink strands that encircle the bud are the final stage to watch for. Once they begin to loosen, the flower will open that night.

 Bloom #2

Bloom #3

Bloom #4

 This is a second shot of the first bloom posted at the top of the page. One leaf had several buds on it but they've all aborted. If the small buds begin to turn red, it's a sign that they will not develop and will eventually fall off.

 Though I've now seen  this plant bloom so many times throughout the year, it is always a new and glorious experience for me. Each blooming cycle is essentially identical and yet each impresses me with its own characteristics. This time there was but a slight scent; sometimes it is overpowering. The flowers choose their spots on various leaves (they prefer the sunnier locations). Some form out in the open; others are nestled among the leaves.

 I could think of no word to describe it better than "Glory!". It is the most glorious flower we have.