What is a night-blooming cactus?

A night-blooming cactus is a cactus whose flowers open up at night. This cactus is often pollinated by moths or bats, which are active at night. This gives the cactus the advantage of not having to compete with plants whose flowers are pollinated during the day.

One popular type of cactus that blooms at night is the night-blooming cereus. At twilight, the huge, fragrant, white flower of this cactus opens up and stays open till dawn.

Another type of night-blooming cactus is the saguaro cactus. Its flowers open in late evening and stay open till late morning. It is pollinated by bats.