A moon backyard is a magical area the place pale, night-blooming flowers glow luminously within the moonlight, releasing their redolence into the night time air. Whereas not all flowers in a moon backyard should be night-blooming, these which are, are usually at their peak throughout this time, making a beautiful basis to construct upon.
Night time-blooming flowers are sometimes aromatic, releasing their scent at nightfall and perfuming the air round them. These flowers are notably great to plant round an outside eating space or close to a patio. They thrive the place they are often loved on languorous summer season evenings when their aromas hold captive within the sultry night time air or within the early morning hours when the backyard has a meditative and serene high quality.
Many night-blooming vegetation have fleeting blooms that open for just one night time, fading shortly with the morning solar. The anticipation of those momentous blooms is a observe in endurance and dedication, and their transient and magical look rewards the ardent gardener.
We backyard for a lot of causes. Not the least of those are offering meals for our households, feeding pollinator populations, or growing the privateness of our area. Whereas these are all worthwhile pursuits, there’s something great a couple of backyard planted merely for the sake of these enchanted moments spent having fun with the fruits of 1’s labor.
Let’s contemplate some great, night-blooming flowers which are sure to attraction and delight as they unfurl by the sunshine of the Earth’s silvery satellite tv for pc.
Angel’s Trumpet
Botanical Identify: Brugmansia spp.
- Plant Sort: Evergreen
- Season: Summer season
- Publicity: Full Solar
- Zones: 9-12
Angel’s trumpet is a small tree originating in South America. Nonetheless, it’s thought of extinct within the wild. It’s broadly obtainable as a decorative plant, and if I do say so myself, it’s really breathtaking.
These evergreens may be grown as massive shrubs or skilled into the form of a tree, reaching as much as 30 toes tall in some areas. They can be saved extra compact as a container plant.
The massive (6”-24” lengthy) flowers of the Angel’s Trumpet are how this plant garners its title. They’re lengthy and pendulous, trumpet-shaped, hanging downward like twirling skirts. Angel’s trumpet opens at night time and might final between a single day to a number of days. They emit their perfume at night time and are pollinated predominantly by moths.
Be cautious about putting this plant close to dwelling areas in case you have younger kids or pets. Each a part of the Angel’s Trumpet plant is toxic to people and animals. So long as care is taken to stop ingesting any a part of the plant, the magic of the Angel’s Trumpet is undeniably magnetic.
Casa Blanca Lily

Botanical Identify: Lilium ‘Casa Blanca’
- Plant Sort: Perennial
- Season: Mid to Late Summer season
- Publicity: Full Solar to Half Shade
- Zones: 4-9
The much-loved flowers of the Casa Blanca lily are generally discovered within the bouquets of summer season brides. The massive, creamy white flowers unfurl their petals within the night, releasing the best quantity of perfume. The flowers can stay open for as much as 2 weeks below the proper situations.
Casa Blanca is an oriental hybrid that grows 3’-4’ tall on robust stems that help clusters of as much as 8 of their massive (6”-8”) blooms. In addition they make glorious minimize flowers, so you’ll be able to go away them within the backyard or carry them indoors to take pleasure in their robust, candy scent.
These lilies bloom so prolifically that there isn’t a cause to not have it each methods. Their gorgeous white flowers will glow within the gentle of the solar and the moon.
Chocolate Daisy

Botanical Identify: Berlandiera lyrata
- Plant Sort: Perennial
- Season: Spring by way of Fall
- Publicity: Full Solar to Half Solar
- Zones: 4-10
Chocolate daisy is a member of the Aster household and has an in depth vary the place it may be grown with little or no upkeep. Native to the Southwestern United States, this drought-tolerant plant is thought to bloom for a lot of months and practically year-round in hotter climates. Deadheading this plant will result in steady, elevated blooms.
The beautiful, yellow flowers bloom at twilight, though they’re most aromatic close to daybreak. For the early riser, the chocolatey scent of those blooms completely enhances that first cup of morning espresso. With a top and width of just one’-2’, these vegetation make a beautiful border for a patio or walkway.
Deer-Horn Cactus

Botanical Identify: Peniocereus greggii
- Plant Sort: Perennial Cactus
- Season: Summer season
- Publicity: Full Solar to Half Shade
- Zones: 9-10
Right here we now have one of the elusive and fascinating night-blooming vegetation, the deer horn or Arizona Queen of the Night time cactus. This native of the Chihuahuan and Sonoran Deserts is an excellent, though inconspicuous, addition to a succulent backyard. For a lot of the yr, Deer-Horn appears like a run-of-the-mill cactus, with skinny branching arms lined in small, sharp spines.
The crowning glory of the deer horn cactus is its waxy, white flowers, which bloom for just one night time per yr remaining open simply lengthy sufficient for early daytime pollinators to do their work. These blink-and-you’ll-miss-it flowers are closely aromatic of their many-petaled glory and are adopted by slender, edible, pink fruits which draw birds and different wildlife.
Satan’s Trumpet

Botanical Identify: Datura
- Plant Sort: Annual or Perennial
- Season: Spring by way of Fall
- Publicity: Full Solar
- Zones: 5-7 as Annual, 8-10 as Perennial
Very like angel’s trumpet, this plant is toxic, so it ought to be planted cautiously in areas the place pets and babies frequent. The flowers are equally formed. Nonetheless, relatively than hanging down like angel’s trumpet, the satan’s trumpet has upturned flowers, generally white with bits of lavender or pink on the throat and on the edges.
Datura is a nightshade associated to tomato and eggplant. When planted in full solar, the plant will develop thick, shrubby foliage with a bluish tint. It might additionally survive in partial shade, however the foliage could grow to be leggy and won’t flower as closely. The flowers open within the night and scent of honeysuckle, which attracts pollinators just like the sphinx month.
Dragonfruit Cactus

Botanical Identify: Selenicereus undatus
- Plant Sort: Perennial Cactus
- Season: Spring by way of Fall
- Publicity: Full Solar
- Zones: 11th of September
Many varieties of cacti have a behavior of blooming at night time, and the dragonfruit cactus isn’t any exception. It additionally produces scrumptious fruit discovered in lots of grocery shops and farmer’s markets all through the Southern United States.
The flowers bloom within the night and emit an intoxicating perfume. They’re pollinated by bats and shut up shortly within the subsequent day’s warmth. (Though they’re additionally typically hand-pollinated to get good fruit growth, too!)
The flowers of the dragonfruit cactus are very massive and showy, so long as 14” and as much as 9” large. They’re many-petaled and have a tubular look. Most flowers are white however may be pink or pink, relying on the species. Each the flowers and fruit of the plant are edible, and one plant can bloom many instances in a season.
Easter Lily Cactus

Botanical Identify: Echinopsis oxygen
- Plant Sort: Perennial Cactus
- Season: Spring
- Publicity: Full Solar to Half Solar
- Zones: 8-11
Easter Lily cactus is a winner of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Backyard Advantage, and it’s straightforward to see why. For a lot of the yr, the plant is a candy little mound of spheres with many ribs and sharp spines. In springtime, this cluster of cacti begins to provide inexperienced stems about 12” in top, atop which bloom massive, aromatic, white or pink lily-like flowers.
The gorgeous flowers of the Easter Lily cactus open within the late afternoon when the temperature drops. They final solely by way of one night time and wither the subsequent day because the temperature rises once more. A mature cactus can proceed to bloom by way of the summer season, producing as many as a dozen of those gorgeous inflorescences.
Easter Lily cacti are immune to pests and ailments and may be fairly chilly tolerant so long as they keep dry within the winter, however in addition they make good container vegetation that may be introduced indoors within the chilly.
Night Primrose

Botanical Identify: Oenothera biennis
- Plant Sort: Biennial
- Season: Summer season and Fall
- Publicity: Full Solar to Half Shade
- Zones: 4-9
This plant is probably extra well-known for its use as a complement than its precise flowers. As a plant, it’s a fast-growing native to North America that additionally occurs to be an evening bloomer.
Night primrose is biennial, so it received’t bloom in its first yr, but it surely self-seeds, so annually thereafter, it is best to see loads of flowers from this candy little plant.
The blooms are delicate and yellow with a candy, lemony perfume that pulls nighttime pollinators like moths to the backyard. The four-petaled flowers open within the night and shut within the morning. Snipping off the spent flowers will hold this plant from self-seeding.
Night Rain Lily

Botanical Identify: Zephyranthus drummondii
- Plant Sort: Perennial
- Season: Late Spring by way of Fall
- Publicity: Full Solar to Half Shade
- Zones: 7-10
This gorgeous member of the amaryllis household is called a wild prairie flower throughout a lot of the central United States. They develop from bulbs, so they’re straightforward to regulate by way of unfold, and so they favor full solar however will do tremendous in partial shade as effectively.
Their beautiful white flowers bloom within the night, making them great for a moon backyard. They final for a number of days, throughout which period they’re nectar supply for bees and butterflies. These flowers generally bloom after rain and start white, altering to pink as they age. In addition they emit a satisfying perfume.
Flowering Tobacco

Botanical Identify: Nicotiana alata
- Plant Sort: Perennial or Annual
- Season: Late Summer season
- Publicity: Full Solar
- Zones: Perennial in zones 10-11, Annual elsewhere
Flowering tobacco, also referred to as jasmine tobacco, is a nightshade member of the family. Like most tobacco species, it prefers organically wealthy, moist soil. Not like its cousin N. tabacum, this plant shouldn’t be grown for its leaves however relatively for its worth as a decorative. It’s a delicate plant, topping out round 3’-5’ tall with lengthy spatulate leaves.
This tobacco plant is finest identified for its nocturnal flowers. The lengthy, tubular blooms are yellowish inexperienced to white and solely open at night time once they launch their delicate scent, generally in comparison with jasmine. It makes a beautiful Moon backyard plant and attracts moths that pollinate its delicate flowers.
Foamflower

Botanical Identify: Tiarella
- Plant Sort: Perennial
- Season: Spring
- Publicity: Full Solar to Half Solar
- Zones: 4-9
Tiarella, or foamflower, is aptly named for its bounty of frothy, white flower spikes that develop abundantly atop pink and inexperienced foliage. This plant makes a beautiful addition to any backyard mattress. It has stunning, dramatic, bi-colored foliage that grows in a mounding style. It appears great in a container, as a solitary plant, or in a grouping.
The bottle-brush-type inflorescences bloom at night time and stay open in the course of the day, emitting a lightweight perfume that’s enticing to pollinators. This winner of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Backyard Advantage is evergreen in gentle climates. In cooler climates, the foliage bronzes because the climate cools. It blooms for about 6 weeks in late spring to early summer season.
4 O’Clocks

Botanical Identify: Mirabilis jalapa
- Plant Sort: Perennials
- Season: Summer season/Fall
- Publicity: Full Solar to Half Solar
- Zones: 7-11
4 O’Clocks have a sure nostalgic attraction to them because of their long-enduring recognition. These small, shrubby vegetation make a wonderful patio or walkway border, notably if the area is especially used later within the day. These vegetation bloom profusely and in many alternative colours. The flowers open within the late afternoon in response to the temperature shift because the solar units.
The blooming season for these flowers is spring within the Southern United States, however cooler climates will see flowers start to bloom in the summertime. 4 O’Clocks splashy, colourful flowers are aromatic and entice early pollinators earlier than wilting within the warmth, making manner for a brand new wave of blooms within the night.
Gardenia Augusta

Botanical Identify: Gardenia jasminodes
- Plant Sort: Evergreen
- Season: Summer season
- Publicity: Full Solar
- Zones: 8-11
Gardenia vegetation are intently associated to espresso vegetation and have related shiny, evergreen foliage. The Augusta selection is a big gardenia with gorgeous, creamy, white blossoms that open in a swirling rosette of perfumed loveliness. Gardenias are chilly hardy to zone 8, and I can inform you that even down to twenty°, my gardenias had been one of many greenest vegetation in my yard this winter.
Gardenias aren’t essentially night-blooming. Their perfume intensifies within the night, making them a beautiful addition to a night-blooming or moon backyard. Their attractive white flowers will glow within the moonlight, and their scent has few rivals on this planet of flowers. This can be a must-have. Gardenias make nice container vegetation as effectively.
Mock Orange

Botanical Identify: Philadelphus coroarius
- Plant Sort: Deciduous Shrub
- Season: Spring and Summer season
- Publicity: Full Solar to Half Solar
- Zones: 3-8
Mock orange is a bigger shrub with dense foliage, making it a beautiful privateness hedge. Named for its flowers related in look to orange blossoms, the white flowers of the mock orange are usually aromatic and interesting to butterflies and different pollinators.
These shrubs bloom intensely in Might and June. Clusters of four-petaled, white blossoms open in succession, at night time, for a number of weeks. In full bloom, this shrub is a sight to behold and is luminous at night time by the moon’s gentle.
Moonflower

Botanical Identify: Ipomoea alba
- Plant Sort: Perennial or Annual
- Season: Summer season and Fall
- Publicity: Full Solar
- Zones: Perennial in zones 10-12
The title Moonflower is usually used to explain one other flower on our checklist, the Datura, however we are going to use this title to check with Ipomoea alba. The massive Ipomoea genus contains morning glory and candy potato, amongst different widespread vegetation. Moonflower is a vining plant that may attain as much as 30’.
Moonflower makes an announcement of delicate magnificence on a trellis or arched entryway to an outside dwelling area. The massive, white blooms open at night time and have a candy, delicate perfume. They’re very enticing to pollinating moths. Even when not in bloom, the heart-shaped leaves of this vine are charming and enticing.
Night time Blooming Jasmine

Botanical Identify: Cestrum nocturnum
- Plant Sort: Evergreen
- Season: Winter/Spring
- Publicity: Full Solar to Half Shade
- Zones: 8-12
There’s controversy surrounding utilizing the title Jasmine versus Jessamine, the place this and another vegetation are involved. Whereas some say the 2 names are interchangeable, others insist that they’re completely different, so we are going to name this night-blooming jasmine, however when you search for it and see it being referred to as jessamine, it’s possible the identical plant.
It doesn’t matter what widespread title you name it by, Cestrum nocturnum is just a delight. This woody evergreen shrub produces a lavish provide of tubular white flowers that open within the night, releasing an intoxicatingly stunning scent.
The flowers shut again up in the course of the day however return every night for the higher a part of the summer season months and into the autumn. The perfume of this tropical magnificence can journey so far as 500ft from the plant.
Night time Phlox

Botanical Identify: Zaluzianskya capensis
- Plant Sort: Annual
- Season: Summer season and Fall
- Publicity: Full Solar
- Zones: 9-12
Night time phlox makes a beautiful addition to a night-blooming or moon backyard. The flowers are available in shades of white, purple, and deep pink, and so they have a particular perfume that can remind you of a number of completely different flowers blended into one. The aroma may be described as honeyed vanilla mingled with a candy almond scent and a contact of spice.
The Midnight Sweet selection is especially stunning each day and night time. It has deep pink buds that open to pure white flowers because the solar units, releasing their great spicy, candy, advanced perfume as they open.
Night time phlox are family of snapdragons. They like wealthy, well-drained soil and keep compact, so they’re nice for filling in areas between bigger vegetation.
Night time Scented Inventory

Botanical Identify: Matthiola longipetala
- Plant Sort: Annual
- Season: Summer season
- Publicity: Full Solar to Half Shade
- Zones: 2-10
One of many solely annuals on the checklist, the night-scented inventory will likely be value planting yearly, I promise. This extremely low-maintenance and fast-growing plant is definite to win you over with its lengthy blooming time and wonderful lavender flowers.
Night time-scented inventory is delicate in look. The leaves are considerably grasslike, and the swish flowers bloom in nice numbers all through the summer season. Opening within the night, the flowers are very aromatic. They make great minimize flowers and can final for per week indoors. This European native likes full solar in all however the warmest climates, the place it would recognize some shelter within the afternoon.
Queen of the Night time

Botanical Identify: Epiphyllum oxypetalum
- Plant Sort: Perennial cactus
- Season: Late Spring
- Publicity: Filtered Solar
- Zones: 10-11
Though technically categorised as a cactus, Queen of the Night time behaves rather a lot like an orchid. As such, it requires a unique type of care than most cacti. To place it, this one is a bit excessive upkeep, however so most of the finest issues are. Queen of the Night time is an epiphyte, which implies it grows in tree branches relatively than soil. This plant’s finest kind of solar publicity is vibrant, filtered, or oblique gentle.
As a jungle epiphyte, Queen of the Night time likes extra humidity than the common cactus, but it surely doesn’t have to be watered typically. Watering as soon as each two weeks ought to suffice so long as it will get the correct quantity of humidity. Within the residence, it would do effectively as a dangling plant; within the backyard, local weather will make the distinction in how one can include this plant.
In the event you’re fortunate sufficient to reside in a tropical local weather, you’ll be able to tie this plant to the branches of a tree. It will finest mimic its pure atmosphere. North of zone 10, it’s finest to maintain this Queen in a container to be introduced indoors when the temperature drops beneath 50°.
Now for the nice half. That is really a plant for the gardener who enjoys the pursuit of a uncommon and great bloom. The flowers are fairly massive (12” lengthy and seven” large) and in regards to the prettiest factor I’ve ever seen. Layers of pure white, elliptical petals unfurl in a single day to disclose a lotus-like bloom. This plant solely blooms as soon as yearly, and the flower is completed with the first-morning solar rays. It’s a momentous event worthy of pulling an all-nighter.
Pink Flare Water Lily

Botanical Identify: Nymphaea ‘Pink Flare’
- Plant Sort: Aquatic Perennial
- Season: Summer season and Fall
- Publicity: Full Solar
- Zones: 10-11
If you’re contemplating the addition of a water aspect in your moon backyard, I extremely advocate it for the addition of this excellent plant. Pink Flare is an aquatic plant with very massive (11”-12”) mahogany-colored leaves that float on the water’s floor. The blooms are deep, wealthy pink, practically pink, and fairly massive (7”-10” large).
The flowers bloom for 3-4 days, opening at night time and shutting in the course of the day. The blooming season is lengthy and prolific, lasting by way of the summer season and into the autumn. Because the temperature cools within the fall, flowers will stay open for extra of the day. Pink Flare prefers full solar however wants safety from the wind and ought to be planted in undisturbed water.
Tuberose

Botanical Identify: Agave amica (Previously Polianthes tuberosa)
- Plant Sort: Perennial
- Season: Summer season/Fall
- Publicity: Full Solar
- Zones: 10-12
This final flower is well-known and cherished for its intensely aromatic flowers. They’re hardy solely in climates that don’t expertise frost, however the summers are lengthy sufficient in zones 7-9 that the bulbs may be planted in spring and dug up within the fall to be saved over the winter. They want a good quantity of heat climate to provide flowers, so north of zone 7, they’re unlikely to have a really robust season.
Tuberose acts barely succulent, needing loads of solar, well-drained soil, and rare watering. The night-blooming flowers are finest identified for his or her intensive and long-lived use in perfumery. Marie Antoinette wore a tuberose-based perfume, and the scent has endured, remaining widespread in the present day. Though closely cultivated, Tuberose is not discovered within the wild.
Ultimate Ideas
One thing is enchanting and maybe only a bit magical a couple of backyard the place the flowers disguise from the solar and bask within the luminous glow of moonlight. The wonder and fragrance of a night-blooming or Moon backyard is essentially the most pleasant and alluring factor to behold. Whether or not you’re a night time owl or an early chook, these flowers that disguise from the solar deserve a particular area to share their attraction and perfume with their devoted caretaker.
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