I bought this cactus at Basha’s a few weeks ago because it looked nice. It has been living on the patio since then and last week a flower bud appeared. It opened last night and produced this beautiful flower seen in the images above and below.
We weren’t sure about the cactus variety, so I uploaded the photo just above to Grok AI which said it is likely an Easter Lily Cactus.
From Grok:
It looks like an Echinopsis species, probably something like Echinopsis oxygona (Easter Lily Cactus) or a close hybrid/relative. These are popular houseplants or garden cacti known for their large, showy white (sometimes pink-tinged) flowers that often bloom at night or in the evening and last about a day.
Key matching features from the photo:
- The flower: Large, multi-petaled white bloom with a yellowish-green center and many slender petals radiating out.
- The stem/peduncle: Long, fuzzy/hairy green tube supporting the flower (a hallmark of many Echinopsis blooms).
- The body: Ribbed, globular-to-columnar green cactus with prominent areoles (the white spots where spines emerge).
Why this identification fits
Echinopsis (formerly often lumped with Trichocereus) are South American cacti common in nurseries and big-box stores like Bashas’ (a grocery chain in Arizona). They match the “night-blooming” or short-lived fragrant white flowers on woolly stems perfectly.
The flower was open this morning, and by late afternoon it had closed and the stem was slumped over. So, we will assume that this is indeed an Easter Lily Cactus. Click on either image to enlarge.
