Rare moonflower set to bloom again in Cambridge

A flower last bloomed in March 2023

Cameras are poised on a rare Amazonian cactus that blooms once a year and for only 12 hours before its flowers die.

The moonflower, or Strophocactus wittii, is part of the collection at Cambridge University Botanic Garden.

The plant is "rare" in captivity and when it bloomed in February 2021 it was believed to be the first time one had ever flowered in the UK.

This year, however, it has produced not just one but four buds, and its progress is being monitored on webcam.

When it first flowered three years ago during lockdown, it attracted the attention of 500,000 people from around the world who tuned in to watch online.

It did not bloom in 2022, but flowered again in March last year.

While the moonflower is not rare in the wild, it is rare in cultivation, a botanic garden spokesperson said.

This species of Strophocactus is grown in 30 botanic gardens worldwide and its beauty is short-lived, as its flowers start to die after just 12 hours.

Four blooms look promising this year, garden staff said

In an unexpected turn of events, this year the plant has produced four potential blooms.

As it has a tendency to reveal itself after dark, staff at the garden who set up this year's webcam said: "If you are feeling sleepless or nocturnal, you are welcome to join us."

The cameras are currently trained on the two buds expected to bloom first.

"Once they have flowered, we will livestream the [other] buds," staff said.

They are keen to point out that their plant is not the same as other flowering cacti which have the same common name of moonflower.

"The name moonflower is given to a lot of cacti which people often have flowering at home," senior horticulturist Kathryn Bray said.

"This plant - Strophocactus wittii - is definitely rare in the UK and in botanic gardens in general, outside its native habitat in the Amazon, so it's important to always go by the Latin name."