Golden Torch Cactus produced the most amazing flower over the course of one night in late January – here’s a short time-lapse as well as a few stills from the night.

I picked up this plant as a seedling over 15 years ago (found it in a field in Swellendam and carried it home in a plastic juice bottle) and since then sticking it into a crappy plastic pot on a forgotten windowsill has been the extent of my kindness towards it.

I found the dried husk of a flower on it just once before (maybe 8 years ago) but it was only last November that I finally took any interest and offered the neglected thing some care. The result was instant – a new location and some water was all it took for a big bud to form and just over 2 months later it bloomed. I spent all night watching its progress and it really was magical, doubly so as it started wilting by morning.

Subsequently I’ve read that this species is considered a weed in South Africa which is a bit sad… Still it’ll be getting a new pot and some proper attention from now on.

A post shared by L a u r a M c C u l l a g h (@laura.mcc_za) on Jan 29, 2018 at 3:13am PST

After the bloom wilted I repotted the plant, a task that was more complicated than I’d expected. Years of sun had made the (horrible) plastic pot brittle and bits flaked off as I tried to manoeuvre the spiky plant. The roots were bound tight however and the pot proved to be more crack resistant than it had any right being.

Finally I managed to shatter the pot and free the cactus, which I gingerly lowered into a much nicer new home.

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UPDATE: 12 March 2018

It grew a fruit! Its been sitting on top of the cactus since the bloom and yesterday it opened! As the plant is classified as an invasive weed I will be sure to harvest the seeds and make sure any growth is controlled.

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See more of my macro and flower photography in my portfolio gallery