When we bought our house 3.5 years ago, a wee cactus was abandoned in the front yard. We re-potted it and pretty much ignored it, figuring that it looked pretty happy and since the last owner hadn't a clue it was probably naturalized.

The next summer it started to flower at night - just one bloom. White. One night and then it was spent, mostly. Maybe it lasted a second night. So we started paying more attention to it. And feeding it. And watering it every other week or so in the summer.

This year the happy fella has six blooms in different stages going right now. Two seem to have been 'sacrificed', growing black and shriveled for the success of the other four, the first of which opened last night and greeted me this morning as I left early for work.

At this point, we're so happy it's happy that we'd like to know what it is. Our best guess is Cereus Horribarbis because we found this picture:

http://cactiguide.com/graphics/c_horribarbis_a_600.jpg

Ours looks a lot like that in that it grows mostly upright but slightly irregularly. The 'older' parts are dark, rough grey with few spines. The spines on the grey part are all on the "knees" as we call them - the little bends that stick out. The pups of new green growth pop up as caps at the tops, in brighter, more smooth, spine-topped shapes.

Here's our little fella:

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs123.snc1/5320_155892067872_725257872_3508888_5124708_n.jpg

You can see his happy bloom from this morning, as well as a second bloom lurking in the background just behind. The bulk of the plant is just-left of the bloom and growing up through the center of the picture. You can see the grey, and the little green caps. (Ignore the aloe and the prickly pear in the background.)

Most of the other Cereus we found pictures of online didn't seem nearly as similar. Sorry for the long post but I'm hoping to provide enough information to separate which Cereus it is ...

So. Cereus Horribarbis? Some other Cereus?

Thank you in advance =]

Image link:

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:477383}}