QuickCheck: Is there a flower that blooms only once a year?

The Star

25-04-2025

FLOWERS are lovely (unless you're allergic to pollen). Whether for a celebration of gratitude, love, birthdays, or anniversaries, they are often gifted to others and bloom throughout the year or in accordance with the seasons.
However, is it true that there is a flower that blooms only once a year?
Verdict:
TRUE
The Queen of the Night (QotN), which is also known by its scientific name, Epiphyllum oxypetalum, is a Night-Blooming Cereus, a cactus species with large, white flowers that bloom at night. It is native to southern Mexico and can be found in most parts of Central America and northern South America.
While these other flowers bloom at night several times a year, the QotN blooms only for a single night each year, which falls in late spring or early summer (between May and June).
The cactus can grow up to 3 metres in height, and its flower is large, usually measuring up to 30cm long and 20cm in diameter. The fragrant flower blooms after sunset and lasts only one night before it withers by dawn.
These cacti in the same location would all bloom simultaneously, increasing their chances of cross-pollination. Scientists believe that the cacti use a form of chemical communication to synchronise the blooms.
Perhaps next time you want to compliment someone, you could use this flower as an example (ie: a rare friend like you appears as rare as the bloom of the QotN).
REFERENCES:
https://www.meadgarden.org/ visit/ecology/flora/night- blooming-cereus/
https://www.southsideblooms. com/queen-of-the-night/
https://www.gardenia.net/ plant/epiphyllum-oxypetalum