Stats

Lifespan

20-30 yrs

Size

Large

Diet

Photosynthetic

Biome

Tropical rainforest

Range

Central and South America

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Seeds

Defense

Spines

Status

Rare

About

This climbing cactus grows along the tropical forests of Central America. Its massive white flowers open only at night and wither by the following morning.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   seed

   A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2. 2.
   sprout

   A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3. 3.
   sapling

   A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4. 4.
   mature

   Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Tracheophyta

Class

Magnoliopsida

Order

Caryophyllales

Family

Cactaceae

Genus

Selenicereus

Species

Selenicereus costaricensis