Description

Royal Flush
Queen of the Night (Peniocerus greggii)
McDowell Sonoran Preserve
40×60 Oil on Canvas

Can a cactus be famous? This one is, so much so that her common name is Queen of the Night. This cactus can be hard to find, and is often overlooked because it resembles a pile of dead sticks hiding under another shrub.
Supporting an underground blub weighing between 5-15 pounds, this plant flushes (blooms en masse) only once between May and August in a good year. Its beautiful fragrance attracts its special pollinator, the hawk moth. When the sun rises, the grand nocturnal event, like a royal ball, is over–just a memory.
Like so many wild plants, miraculous events need to line up to support its existence.
Tread lightly, keep your eyes open, and if you see the Queen, curtsy and enjoy the sight. You are in the presence of royalty.
This painting was inspired by the observations of Veronika Countryman and Marianne Skov Jensen.