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Sunday, December 17, 2006

More Christmas

Many years ago, my Aunt placed me in charge of the UGLIEST plant in the world! It is some sort of a cactus that my grandmother got as a young girl ... over 100 years ago. My Grandmother always claimed that it only flowered at night, and that the flowers only lasted for one night. I believed her ... I mean ... who DOESN'T believe their GRANDMOTHER! It also explained why I never saw a flower on this plant ... I was IN BED ... hehehe

Anyway ... in the many years that I have cared for this plant ... it has never flowered. 'Parts' of this plant have been passed on to anyone in the family who even expressed the remotest interest in owning one. To the best of my knowledge ... no plant from this parent plant has EVER flowered. That allows me, at the least, to not take this personally ... LOL

This year ... I decided that this huge ugly plant that sits on our water cooler ... needed a Christmas 'lift'. I'm SURE that with all this attention ... the warmth ... and the love ... it will bloom before the winter is over ... ;-)

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I will be sure to show your Aunt this picture of the ugly cactus that was once your grandmothers. Actually, I applaud your Aunt for figuring out a way to get rid of it, but making sure it stays in the family!!!
hahahaha!!!

Anonymous said...

I have a cousin to your plant. It is often known as a Night Blooming Cereus. Mine blooms white. Humungous white flower. Looks a lot like a white Christmas cactus flower. Likes to be 'mistreated'. Actually, it really likes eastern light.

bopeep said...

That plant looks familiar to me too. Our blooms huge purple flowers...but only when it is in high humidity.
In our family we hand down my grandmother's christmas cactus....which really likes to bloom at thanksgiving.
Actually it's the only plant that I don't destroy by forgetting to water.
Lovely tree.

Kerri said...

We have an offspring of this hideousness! ha ha....
Great idea, 'cover it and it shall disappear'.

LOVE the tree though!
Kerri xo

Anonymous said...

I'm on my second helping of this plant! I think I am the first family member to actually kill one....opps! I think I've got my green thumb figured out now though!

Kathy said...

I, too, was going to mention it as a Night Blooming Cereus! When I worked at the Arboretum here, we had one just like it. The blooms were fantastic! They were about 12 inches in diameter and had a very strong floral fragrance.
Just don't name it "Audrey"! ;-)