Japanese Twitter Mochizuki (@mochimochimoon3) has caught a beautiful and rare scene on video and shared it to the delight of flower fans. Mochizuki recently posted a video of the coveted species of cactus known as the "Queen of the Night", or "Beauty under the Moon" (月下美人 Gekka Bijin) as it is known in Japan.

The sweet scented cactus flower blooms once a year, only at night, and withers by dawn. For that reason it's thought to symbolize "fleeting love".

The carefully timed video shows of a time-lapse of the flower reaching full bloom by morning, from where it would normally whither away. Mochizuki, however, readily waited to preserve the phantom flower in a jar of alcohol. Mochizuki remarked that the flower had a dignified sweet fragrance that reminded them of snowfall on a quiet night.


By - grape Japan editorial staff.