Rare 'Queen of the Night' Cactus Blooms With 64 Flowers at Tenerife Hotel
A rare "queen of the night" cactus at Tenerife's Hotel Tigaiga recently captivated guests by blooming with 64 flowers in a single night.
The Epiphyllum oxypetalum, commonly known as the "queen of the night," has once again drawn attention in the Canary Islands. At the Hotel Tigaiga in Puerto de la Cruz, this unique cactus recently put on a rare display by opening 64 flowers all on the same day.
This event, which typically happens between late June and early July, is a clever biological strategy for nocturnal pollination. Native to the tropical rainforests of Central America, the plant completes its flowering cycle in a single night, with the blooms wilting before dawn. By tracking weather patterns and bud development, hotel managers Enrique and Irene Talg were able to alert their guests, giving them a chance to witness a spectacle that is rare even for experts to see in the wild.
The story at the Hotel Tigaiga is part of a long-standing commitment to environmental conservation that began in 1959. The cactus grows naturally on the hotel’s palm trees and rock formations, showing how exotic species can thrive in mild climates with minimal human interference. The plant’s hardy nature and signature fragrance mean that more blooms are expected to open in the coming days.
This event highlights how tourism can successfully blend hospitality with nature education. While guests were initially skeptical about the flowers’ brief lifespan, the experience proved to be a memorable highlight, showing the value of prioritizing biodiversity in travel. The continued success of the Epiphyllum oxypetalum at this Tenerife site serves as a perfect example of how urban gardens can support and showcase botanical wonders.