Epiphyllum strictum cacti orchid epiphyllum dutchman's pipe night queen keng hwa

Epiphyllum strictum is a night blooming white epiphyllum with traces of pink back petals. It is a specie of the many epiphyllum which is a kind of cacti orchid but stems with no thorns. This plant is also called the ‘night queen,’ as its flowers bloom at night starting at 10 pm to 11 pm (Malaysian time) to full blooms by two to three hours and fade by the following day. The Chinese called this plant ‘Keng Hwa’ and some believe that it is auspicious when it blooms. The flowers when dried are considered to have medicinal properties.

The plant can be easily planted from the stem cutting. As for my experience, I planted mine with four stem cuttings of about 12-14 inches length. Having grown the plant for 16 months, the plants are about 5 feet tall now. The first flower bloomed when the plant was about 7 months old and three feet tall. Since then blooming occurs at almost every 2 months.

The plants were in a 14 inches pot and placed in the Western corner of my condominium unit, where daily sunlight is from 3 pm until sunset. I water the plants twice a day and occasionally I used the snow lotus mushroom enzyme and also mixed fruit enzyme diluted with water. Fertilizers are added to the plant every two to three weeks

The number of blooms that my plants occur consecutively for 7 nights was a total of 57 flowers. The most counted blooms were 17 flowers on the third night. The sign when the flowers will bloom on the particular night can be observed by the bending of the flower stalk which looks similar to the ‘Dutchman’s pipe,’ for which some refer to the plant.

If the plant is subjected to excessive sunlight, the stems will be yellowish in colour.  When the flower buds turn yellow-pinkish the buds will drop off instead of maturing to bloom.

If the plants are potted, it is advisable to plant them circularly in the mid-area of the pot. If fruit enzymes are used, as in my case, this will allow enzymes to be added around the outer part of the pot as the diluted enzyme may destroy the stems when in contact. In the event that the enzymes come in contact with the stems, water them immediately.

The best support for the stems as they grow is to use plastic rope tied onto the support rods. The rope being tied on rods and on either side of the stem, provide good support for the stems to grow vertically. The rope needs to be added as the plants prosper.

The flowering buds of Epiphyllum Strictum can be cut and placed in water for blooming away from the plants. Nice video shots can be captured to one's discretion in terms of lighting and arrangement.