Round the corner from where I live, there is a large, rambling Arizona Night-Blooming Cereus, Reina de la noche, growing in a front garden.
Peniocereus greggii is a slender-stemmed cactus with a large underground tuber that can reach the size of a basketball, and weigh as much as 15 pounds. Occasional specimens are known to weigh as much as 87 pounds. It is reported that native Americans utilized the tuber for food. The grey stems are four to six ribbed, to 12 mm in diameter, and resemble the stems of the shrubs that often support them. The stems are armed with short dark spines along the ribs. Flowers are large and beautiful, salverform, nocturnal, scented, white, to 7.5 cm in diameter. They last only one night. Fruits are red, ovoid, sparsely spiny, fleshy and many-seeded. ... The known range [includes] large areas in central Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, western Texas, and south into Sonora, Mexico at elevations below 4000 ft. from the website of The Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Arizona
I smelled the beautiful scent of the flowers as I turned the corner on my Wednesday morning walk. Much to my surprise, there were only four blooms. In other years, the plant has been covered with them.
The next day, of course, the blooms had shrivelled.
When I looked closely at the plant, it seemed that several of the stems had little buds. Very often this species of plant blooms in June. I'll be checking it from time to time to see if more flower stems develop.
The blooms were buzzing with bees. They must have been attracted by the strong fragrance, which I could smell from half a block away. 
The blooms opened up yesterday evening. By 9 a.m. today the blooms were gone. The plant won't bloom again until next May.
This cactus straddles the corner of our property and our neighbour's. I'm not absolutely sure what kind of cholla it is, but I'm guessing it's a staghorn cholla. Other possibilities are buckhorn and cane cholla. I delight in its yellow flowers and the interesting structure of its fruit.
When I looked closely at the plant, it seemed that several of the stems had little buds. Very often this species of plant blooms in June. I'll be checking it from time to time to see if more flower stems develop.
Well, it's getting pretty hot in the Old Pueblo. We haven't "broken the ice" yet - that occurs when the temperature officially breaks 100 degrees Fahrenheit - but we've come pretty close.
I thought I'd go back today to try to take some better photos with the 100 mm. lens, but when I drove by I saw that the flowers were already shrivelled - a two-day wonder.
