Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Snake Cactus bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Robust Moonflower, Night-Blooming Snake Cactus (Selenicereus validus).

More about snake cactus

About Snake Cactus

Selenicereus validus · also called Robust Moonflower, Night-Blooming Snake Cactus · flowering

Selenicereus validus is a vigorous, sprawling cactus with long, snake-like ribbed stems native to the Caribbean and Central America. Like its relatives it produces large, spectacular white nocturnal flowers with a sweet fragrance. It grows rapidly and requires a large space and sturdy support. Excellent for hanging baskets or training along a wall. Generally pet-safe as a true cactus.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Failure to bloom: Requires a cool, slightly drier winter (around 15°C) followed by warmth and regular feeding to trigger flowering. Buds will not form on very young or recently repotted plants.

The reasons snake cactus isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming snake cactus traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding snake cactus a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get snake cactus to flower

Maximise sun. Give snake cactus the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for snake cactus and get the feeding right with the snake cactus fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Snake Cactus flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full snake cactus care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Snake Cactus blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my snake cactus flower?

Snake Cactus blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make snake cactus bloom?

Give snake cactus the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does snake cactus normally bloom?