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4.8 out of 5 (17 experiences)


Also known as
Dutchman's Pipe Cactus, Dutchman's Pipe Cactus, Princess of the Night, Queen of the Night and Night Blooming Cereus
Taxonomy
Epiphyllum oxypetalum
Epiphyllum
Cactaceae
Caryophyllales

How to care for Princess Of The Night

How often to water your Princess Of The Night

every 12
Princess Of The Night needs 0.5 cups of water every 12 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.
Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.
Water 0.5 cups every
12

Check the growing potential in your area
A plant's growing potential is determined from its location, the time of year, and current local weather.

Select a city to check sunlight intensity

Finding light for Dutchman's Pipe Cactus in your home

a window
Princess Of The Night love being close to bright, sunny windows 😎.
Place it less than 1ft from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.
Princess Of The Night does not tolerate low-light 🚫.
Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Princess Of The Night in your home 🏡.

How to fertilize Princess Of The Night

Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.
By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.
To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Princess Of The Night after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.

Princess Of The Night is generally easy to care for, though some plant parents report facing challenges with growing it. Check out the reviews down below to read more about their experiences!
Water Needs
Princess Of The Night thrives in dry soil and should be watered sparingly. Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.
Sunlight Needs
Princess Of The Night requires abundant, bright and direct light. Place it less than one foot from a window to ensure it receives enough light to survive 💪. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home 🏡.
Toxicity
Princess Of The Night is not known to cause harm to humans or pets. Regardless, if you, a family member, a cat, or dog has ingested any plant material, please consult a doctor or a veterinarian.
Humidity
Princess Of The Night prefers dry environments. Providing extra humidity or misting your plant allows water to linger on leaves, which can create the perfect environment for harmful types of fungi.
Soil
Princess Of The Night is very sensitive to wet soil, so choose a potting soil that drains very well and doesn’t retain too much moisture. A good soil will have lots of perlite or vermiculite for drainage and some organic matter for nutrition. A few handfuls of perlite added to regular store-bought cactus soil will do the trick!
Fertilizer
Princess Of The Night grows very slowly and doesn’t require added fertilizer. Replacing your plant’s potting soil once a year should provide them with more than enough nutrition. Remember, plants get their energy from sunlight, not fertilizer!
Native Region
Princess Of The Night is native to Central and South America.
Flowers
Princess Of The Night produces flowers in the wild, but does not flower when kept as houseplants.
Growth Pattern
Princess Of The Night will branch off as it grows. To encourage branching, pinch off the newest growth at the tip and the stem will branch off into two.
Growing Outdoors
USDA Hardiness Zone
Princess Of The Night can be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 10-12b. Find your local hardiness zone here.
Propagation
Princess Of The Night can be propagated by the stem method. To propagate:
- Make a cut just above the node. The node is the break in the stem where the leaf emerges.
- To get the cutting to root, you can either:
- Place the cutting in water until roots emerge and are ~2” long and then transplant into well-draining soil, or
- Place the cutting directly into well-draining soil and water when dry.
Common Issues
Overwatering is a likely cause of issues with Princess Of The Night. These plants are very sensitive to wet soil so if you notice your plant becoming squishy or translucent, overwatering is the likely culprit.
Cut your plant just past where the rot ends and allow it to callus over for a few days before replanting it in fresh, dry soil. Download Greg to make sure your plant never gets overwatered again!
Care Summary for Princess Of The Night
Princess Of The Night
Greg recommends:

0.5 cups every 12 days

< 1ft from a window

Repot after 2x growth
Based on the 4” pot your plant is in, and that it doesn’t get direct sunlight.

What other plant parents say












Put it next to a window, any window and it will be happy. I have one in a sw window and another in a nw window and they have big red blooms in mid July. Cut from the stem to propagate in soil or in water. Water about every two weeks, or when it starts to wrinkle. Very easy to care for and pest resistant!










I have had this cactus for five years. It flowers every year, beautiful red blooms. I haven’t always cared for it the best way I could have done in the past, but it’s still here. It needs space as it can grow outwards as well as upwards.
I have it positioned on a window sill of a south facing window. It’s fed and watered weekly. Since repotting it, there is an amazing amount of new growth.









My husband received our Dutchman’s pipe cactus as a gift from an old boss of his named Kevin Jones that he used to work for 13 years ago. We have yet to see it bloom but we’ve heard that it’s very fragrant when it blooms and it will smell up the entire room of the house that its in. Looking forward to seeing it bloom some day. We were told that you need to propagate off the mother plant prior to it blooming because once it blooms the plant starts to die off.




