A friend of mine gave me a hybrid Trichocereus cactus that he created by pollinating T. terscheckii with T. candicans a year or two ago. On this night of Sept 19, 2015 it put forth a large white flower underneath a first-quarter moon as it was setting. I decided to document the scene with this result.

Close up of the Trichocereus flower at night.

As a corollary to my nocturnal post of the Trichocereus hybrid flower, here’s a pair of pics of glowing early morning light before the flower closes forever. The bees are making the most of the short time remaining.

Bees swarming the hybrid cactus flower in early morning sunlight. The blossom would be closed up permanently by 10 AM.

Elsewhere in the garden, a soaptree yucca (Yucca elata) and a teddybear cholla (Cylindropuntia bigelovii) stand backlit by the rising sun.

Various chollas and prickly pears scatter the landscape while a chunky barrel cactus (Ferocactus emoryi) stands its ground. The white-spined cholla up front is Cylindropuntia multigeniculata, and the largest prickly pear to the right is Opuntia chlorotica.

This is my daily scenery. I love it in all types of weather and at any time of year.