It's time for them to bloom and release their fragrance. How they sense the moon light and time for blooming is mysterious, but almost the same day of the month from last year, the first "Night-blooming Cereus" began opening up its pedals late in the afternoon yesterday. After dark, it opened fully! A sweet fragrance reached us and had us wonder what it was. November 5th is Guy Fawkes Day in New Zealand; the only period the Kiwis are allowed to buy and set off fireworks by themselves. Our neighbors were setting them off like crazy, but in our living room, the cereus bloomed very, very slowly and soundlessly. Someone named it "Moonlight Beauty (gekka bijin)" in Japanese. I prefer this name more.
