The term “Brahma Kamal” causes significant botanical confusion in India .
Commonly, it refers to a cactus known as Epiphyllum oxypetalum (Queen of the Night)..aka the Star of Bethlehem.
The Actual Brahma Kamal refers to a Himalayan plant (Saussurea obvallata).
The difference between the two plants:
1. The True Brahma Kamal (Saussurea obvallata)
Native to the Himalayas (at msl 3,700 to 4,600 meters).
Cannot be grown easily as a houseplant in warmer regions.
Blooms during the monsoon season and stays fresh for several days due to the freezing mountain temperatures.
Belongs to the sunflower family
2. The Cactus “Brahma Kamal” (Epiphyllum oxypetalum)
Native to the tropical forests of Central and S.America. Is widely grown indoors and on balconies across India.
A nocturnal bloomer, it opens completely by midnight and wilts fully by sunrise.
Belongs to the cactus family .
Shot from My Mom’s Flowerpot, Coorg. July 26, 2026 © Dr.Bishan Monnappa
Thank you for this clarification. I’ve always been fascinated by the Brahma Kamal but also confused. Like many people, I grew up believing the plant in our garden was the Brahma Kamal, only to later read that the true Brahma Kamal grows in the Himalayas. That left me wondering which one was actually the real Brahma Kamal.
When I visited Hemkund Sahib, the question came back to me, but I never found a clear answer. Your article explains beautifully how the true Himalayan Brahma Kamal and the night blooming cactus have come to share the same name in common usage. The flower in my garden blooms in the night and wilts by morning, so this finally puts the confusion to rest. Thank you for shedding light on something I suspect many of us have wondered about.