The Queen of the Night has returned for her annual appearance. I make it to Tohono Chul Park at 11PM Friday, June 16th in search of her majesty--the source of the refreshing, sweet aroma cast over the desert night. There's an hour left to find and capture her on camera before the park will close and I'll need to leave the flowers to the moths. She'll disappear by morning for for another year, so there's an important job to do. Like a member of the flower paparazzi, with my camera, flashlight, tripod, and cell phone in hand, I follow the softly lit trails, which like a red carpet will lead me to the celebrities of the evening, cicadas buzzing a celebratory song along the way.The night blooming cereus (peniocereus greggii) seem more scarce to me tonight than usual. As I eagerly search, keeping a fast pace, I realize I haven't seen many and the ones I have seen are surrounded by other excited night-bloom enthusiasts. I check my phone for the time--11:15. I best hustle. As I continue my expedition, I come across a cereus who hasn't bloomed yet. Most of them bloom on the same night, but there are some early and late bloomers.
Stuffed inside, dozens of petals and a pouch of pollen dust wait to arrive to the mid-summer night's party.
I move along the trail, backtracking a few times before finally spotting a solitary bloom. I spend some time with her to ensure I get what I'm after. My cell phone acts as a nice lighting effect.
The giant sphinx moth is the only pollinator who can pollinate this flower because it has such a long proboscis. The overwhelming pollen lures them over, but their shyness may prevent them from swooping before the cameras. They're brilliant at avoiding the flower paparazzi! I'm sure they're lingering overhead, waiting for the human spectators to leave. I pause to take a deep breath, inhaling the glorious aroma. If a moth's mouth waters, every moth in the park has to be drooling. The moths have the perfect tool to drink their annual dessert--a fancy bendy straw to sip the delicious, sweet nectar from deep inside the elaborately pretty cup.
This flower depends on the patient moths. They feed each other. What an amazing relationship.
It's a quarter to midnight now and I think I have enough time for a few more shots before I'm forced to vacate the park.
The flower's stamen wave and call to the moths this one night of the year. As if in Wonderland, they call out, "Drink me."
They seem to show off with beautiful crowns and skirts. Most of the year they're rather plain looking, so I say, flaunt it, girls!
This is my favorite summer treat. Thanks, God.
Grateful,
Dawn
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