Your Royal Spikiness

This Easter Lily Cactus has never flowered–I’m told, in the 40 something years it’s been alive–until today. But one day, there was a six-inch, finger-like protrusion which quickly became a bud and then next day (August 28 to be exact), poof!

Instant full fledged flower. One of the syrphid flies that I accidentally shooed off of it (oops!) would agree that it’s quite irresistible. Given the ultra-long tunnel to the nectar, it’s not a flower for hummingbirds. But even if you were a chosen pollinator, there’s not exactly another flower to transfer the pollen to, is there?

From this angle, the flower resembles one of those supertrees in Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay. The sad thing is this flower (allegedly) only lasts for a day. Beauty is indeed fleeting!  However, it’s the end of day 2 as I typed this on August 29, and the pink wonder is still thriving and defying the odds!