Blooming Incredible

I have a couple of ideas/subjects kicking around in my head that I'd like to blog about, but I'm not quite my normal self yet after my bout of whatever it was I've had over the past 24 hours that had me puking and weird.  So just a simple show and tell for this blog.

This week, the moon flowers bloomed in my yard.  I don't know much about this plant, only that it's an ugly looking succulant thing that has crept along the far fence for years, looking rather hideous, until it's moment to bloom comes, and then it's INCREDIBLE.  Take a look at it:

Stunning huh?  And it's about the size of a dinner plate across the flower part (white petals) when in full bloom.

You can see a little bit of the actual plant itself  behind the plant there at the bottom and the lighter, flat green bit across the top (not the smaller, darker leaves, they're something else).  It's an ugly critter when it's not in bloom.

This plant is pretty amazing in that it only blooms at night, and only blooms like once a year or something.  I think it only blooms at new moon too, as the ones here bloomed on Monday night (Australia Day) which was new moon.  I wonder if it's lucky when they bloom on Chinese New Year?

I must admit, I do have thoughts of the "mean green mother from outer space" whenever I see the thing in bloom.  Don't you reckon it's got a little bit of the Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors look about it?  I love that movie, and the soundtrack is fantastic.  I can just hear Levi Stubbs' (RIP) voice coming out of that big moon flower bloom.  "I need blood and he's got more than enough..."

I think I need to dig that soundtrack out, I need some Levi Stubbs and Ellen Greene!