As kids I remember so well when the Star of Bethlehem flowered, my parents called all the neighbours to come over and ooh! and aah! over the gorgeous blooms. The road just had large bungalows with single families living in them. And, we were all friends. The plant in a pot was brought into the house and displayed standing on a tall stool in the verandah.
Like a typical teen-- I thought my parents were crazy, handing out piping hot cups of coffee and biscuits to all who came over to admire their beautiful flowers. The flowers were a pristine white, absolutely spectacular to look at and their perfume was mind boggling. It was heady and filled the verandah, wafting around the guests, who made my parents happy.
My mothers plants thankfully have been put down in the garden and I make sure they are well fed and bloom and grow. This plant is now planted into the ground and has grown enormous and hangs on the old Christmas tree which is equally huge.
Over the past year I fed the plant well from the compost pit and its position ensured that it is never over watered. When I saw the numerous buds appear, I knew we were in for a spectacular show this year. One year after Mum has passed. There were so many buds, hanging overhead and all over that I lost count and did not realise how fast the buds grow. In the footsteps of my parents I invited my tenants to come in their nightwear and admire the flowers. They did and the video is courtesy one of them.
The plant has large flowers that are pure white and resemble the shape of a star. They have a lovely fragrance that is exclusive to this species as they only blossom only at night. The fully open bloom takes approximately two hours after the unfurling starts at sunset, and the flower stays open till sunrise. Literally like Cinderella, except at the stroke of 5 am when light begins to appear it begins to die and closeup.
Although the actual scientific name is Saussurea obvallata, this flower is named after Brahma, the God of Creation, according to Indian mythology too. Its lotus-like flowers only open during night time.
The Star of Bethlehem is a species of cactus. This means that the plant does not require much water and is self-sufficient compared to other plants. If you plan on planting this in your garden, you will find it extremely easy to grow, as it needs watering only every two to three days. However, it is necessary that you never overwater the plant. If my parents were alive they would have been really pleased.
