The “Queen of the Night” is a night-flowering cactus that blooms with a great sense of drama. It blooms once a year for several hours only. /CFP Photo

The plant puts all of its reproductive energy into a single brief fling. It's quite an extraordinary performance. /CFP Photo

The flower is huge, deeply fragrant and glows as white as a full moon. Still, it's a precarious way to make a living, and the true Queen, Selenicereus grandiflorus, is not often seen in cultivation. /CFP Photo