Is Epiphyllum Oxypetalum Poisonous? (Experts Opinion)

There is no known source that says Epiphyllum Oxypetalum is a poisonous plant. In fact, tribes in the rainforest regions use flowers as part of their healing rituals. They treat an array of ailments including:

Aphrodisiac
Fertility
Epilepsy
Fever
High blood pressure
Hypertension and heart diseases

These flowers are also used to treat skin problems and toothaches. These tribes believe the flower can cure almost everything, for example:

Arthritis (painful joint inflammation)
Asthma (a common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways)

plant’s place of origin Central America

family Cactaceae

plant community – neotropical rainforest
category: Plant – annual/perennial
common names Night-blooming Cereus, Orchid Cactus.

Is Epiphyllum Poisonous to Humans?

Epiphyllums can be potted using a well-draining orchid mix and should be fertilized once a month with a balanced fertilizer. Non-toxic for pets and humans.

Is Queen of the Night Poisonous?

Epiphyllum oxypetalum is a plant that grows in rainforest regions. It is commonly known as the Night-blooming Cereus.

The plant is popular for its beautiful flowers and fragrant scent. Although, it is also very rare in nature.

There are more than 300 species of cacti, but this one ranks among the most mysterious ones due to the fact that it only blooms at night and the flowers of this particular kind are only around for a few days!

Although there are no known sources that claim Epiphyllum oxypetalum is a poisonous plant, tribes in the rainforest regions use flowers as part of their healing rituals.

The most common method that they use involves burning these flowers in order to produce smoke that can help alleviate asthma and other respiratory problems.

The smoke produced is also used to treat colds and fever by blowing it into someone’s face.

The powdered form of this flower has been used to stop bleeding as well as reduce inflammation from bruises.

The juice from these flowers has been used as a sedative, pain reliever, and even an aphrodisiac!

It was believed to give you courage and improve your sexual prowess back in the day!

Is Night Blooming Cereus Poisonous?

Night-blooming cereus is a member of the cactus family and comes from Mexico, Central America, and South America. It belongs to the genus Selenicereus, which are known by the common name “moonflower.” The spiky leaves have a unique color pattern that is said to resemble a face.

In order to bloom, night-blooming cereus requires exposure to both 12 hours of darkness (or near darkness) followed by 12 hours of sunlight. Although its flowers are fragrant, they can not troublesome for cats if ingested.

In general, night-blooming cereus is listed as non-toxic to cats, but because plants aren’t part of a cat’s normal diet, ingestion can lead to side effects, which include gastrointestinal irritation, skin irritation, vomiting, and blistering or irritation of the gums and mouth.

The ASPCA recommends that pet owners keep this plant out of their homes if their cat has had an adverse reaction to it in the past.

How Do I Know When My Night Blooming Cereus Will Bloom?

The night-blooming cereus is a tropical plant that blooms as the sun goes down. Its flowers are usually white and fragrant, but they can also be pink or red, depending on the variety.

Their color is most often a pale shade of white, which makes them stand out against the deep blue of the starry sky.

Some of these plants have the ability to bloom only at night, while others can do so both day and night.

The plant that blooms only at night is called the “night-blooming cereus,” while the one that blooms during both day and night is called the “day-blooming cereus.”

To see a Cereus flower at its most beautiful, you must wait until after dark. Night-blooming cereus opens its flowers after dark, usually between 8 and 9 p.m., depending on when dusk falls on that particular night—the later it gets, the longer you’ll have to wait for it to bloom.

At about midnight, buds begin to open slowly, releasing fragrance from the first moment, and are usually fully unfurled about midnight. With dawn’s first light, flowers close again until dusk falls once more—this cycle will repeat every day.

TRADITIONAL USES

E. oxypetalum

has several traditional uses and forms as important ingredients in Malay traditional medicine. The plant is often used to treat bloody phlegm and cough, uterine bleeding, and shortness of breath in old people. In addition, the constituents of

E. oxypetalum

are believed to have a strong ability to stifle pain and are capable of neutralizing blood clotting [3]. The stems are reported to cure cardiac affections and dropsy [1]. Vietnamese used the petals of the faded blooms to make soups, which are believed to have tonic and aphrodisiac properties. Additionally, the flowers are used to treat wound abscesses for quick healing.

Antioxidant activity

The aqueous and ethanol extracts of the dried leaves

E.oxypetalum

were evaluated for antioxidant activity by using hydrogen peroxide scavenging and DPPH assay to determine the free radical scavenging abilities of both the extracts. The results showed the highest percentage of DPPH inhibition (60.37%) in the ethanol extract compared to aqueous extract which showed only 34.23%. The maximum percentage of inhibition in both the methods was observed at 2000µg/ml for the ethanol extract and 500 µg/ml for the aqueous extract respectively.