Nothing is more beautiful in the late summer than a night-blooming cereus covered with blossoms. The blooms are large and white and fragrant. A friend once had 53 blossoms on one cereus plant. But the only problem is that blossoms only last one night--and as the name suggests one has to miss some sleep to admire the display. The flowers are fully open by 11:00 and they wilt when the day becomes bright. Separate blossoms may take a few days to finish up. What a disappointment to discover a wilted flower when you didn't realize it was the night for blossoms! 
The other problem is that the plant can't stand even a touch of frost. In western North Carolina, they have to be put in a basement or greenhouse in the winter. Since I don't have a large basement, these huge plants can be overwhelming. You can see by their size why my husband does not look forward to moving them. And considering how big they are, not many people are willing to adopt them. When spring comes, they like a sheltered space with a bit of sun like my lower deck. Ordinary plant food and watering will do. If you break off a stem, just stick it down in the pot and it probably will root if it has a bit of moisture. I got this flower from my mother who got it from a neighbor who got it from a friend and so on. No need to go out and buy plants.
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