We often get too busy to admire the flowers blooming under the sunlight. But when night falls, another magical world of flowers comes alive. That is the moon garden – what an incredible thing you can have in your backyard or just on your head! While flowers, which bloom during the day, look common, those that bloom at night have something magical and fascinating about them. What could be better than immersing yourself in a mystical atmosphere, drinking tea under the shimmering moonlight?
Here are 10 flowers that bloom at night to enhance your fragrant and magical garden list. Let your moon garden be the place you retreat to after a long day.
10 Flowers that Bloom at Night for your Fragrant and Magical Moon Garden
Do you want to have an enchanting moon garden? Read on to explore the special flowers that bloom at night. They will bring a magical beauty and a charming fragrance to your outdoor space.
Night Blooming Jasmine
Night blooming jasmine is a woody tropical evergreen shrub from the potato family Solanaceae. The special aspect of night blooming jasmine is that it only blooms at night. Truly, night blooming jasmine grows quite quickly that can reach 10 feet tall in its native environment. The night-blooming flower has long, multiple branches with green leaves with small white or cream flowers.
Night blooming jasmine is also well-known as some romantic names: Queen Of The Night and Lady Of The Night, simply because of its strong, delightful scent. At the set of the sun, tiny but pure white jasmine flowers gradually bloom and release such an intoxicatingly lovely scent in the air. The fragrance is very unique; it is sweet, musky, slightly enchanting and is a little like it draws you in. That is why night blooming jasmine is often said to smell like a young girl on a summer night.
In terms of care, night blooming jasmine is fairly low maintenance. The shrubby plant can thrive in well-draining soil and requires regular fertilization.
Botanical name: Cestrum nocturnum
Mature size: about 8-14 feet
Fragrance: sweet and musky scent
Flower colors: White, cream, to greenish-white, pinkish purple
Moonflower
The Moonflower is native to the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas from north Argentina through Northern Argentina and Florida. Moonflower belongs to the morning glory family and is an example of a night-blooming flower.
Just as its unique name suggests, the Moonflower only opens in the evening. The moonflower, during the day, hides its beauty within a tightly coiled spiral. However, only under the cloak of night, “shy maiden” flowers gently blossom like tiny stars in the night sky. In fact, this type of nocturnal flower only blooms for one night, from evening to dawn. However, you will notice that it goes on to grow new flowers during the blooming season.
Moonflower’s fragrance is not as musky as that of the night-blooming jasmine, but rather an elegant, pure scent, as the poetry of a summer night. For moon garden lovers, there is nothing more magical than observing a Moonflower bloom under the light of a full moon.
Botanical name: Ipomoea alba
Mature size: about 3–6 ft. wide and 10–15 ft tall
Fragrance: an elegant, pure scent
Flower colors: white and sometimes purple
Casa Blanca Lily
The Casa Blanca Lily is one of the much-beloved flowers that bloom at night, often used in garden decoration and special occasions like weddings and festivals.
Typically, a lily plant can grow about 3 – 4 feet tall, with each plant producing 6 to 8 flowers. The Casa Blanca Lily has large trumpet-shaped blooms, each about 20 cm in diameter, featuring pristine white petals and dark brown stamens. Although the Casa Blanca Lily is mainly white, hybrids have been developed in other colors including pink, orange, yellow, purple. The fragrance of the Casa Blanca Lily is sweet, intense, and unforgettable, making these nocturnal flowers a perfect choice for fresh flower arrangements at romantic evening events.
Like other types of lilies, the Casa Blanca Lily is beautiful and has a pleasant fragrance, but the pollen part of it is bad for your fuzzy friends such as dogs and cats.
Botanical name: Lilium ’Casa Blanca’
Size: up to 3 to 4 feet
Fragrance: sweet, intense, and unforgettable fragrance
Flower colors: mainly white
Night Phlox
For a captivating flower that blooms at night, look no further than the Night Phlox. The flowers of the Night Phlox are white, purple, light pink or sometimes deep red, looking like sweet candies that emit a rich fragrance under the shimmering moonlight. With their tiny pinwheel shape, Night Phlox exudes a mesmerizing scent. This unique blend of vanilla, honey, and a hint of sweet almond makes the surrounding atmosphere romantic and mystical as a candy garden from a fairy tale.
Botanical name: Zaluzianskya capensis
Mature size: about 30 cm
Fragrance: vanilla, honey, and almond scent
Flower colors: white, purple, light pink, deep red
Evening Primrose
With their yellow blooms and a lemony scent that blooms atop a 2 to 6-foot-tall stem, you’ll definitely want to be nearby whenever these flowers bloom at night. Evening primrose, originally native to North America, has now spread worldwide and comes in various colors, mainly yellow but also available in pink or white. The petals are typically arranged in a symmetrical round shape like yellow roses.
Although it is a night-blooming flower, the Evening Primrose blooms quite early, so you will have the opportunity to admire these lovely small flowers as soon as the sun begins to set.
Botanical name: Oenothera biennis
Mature size: about 30 cm
Fragrance: a lemony scent
Flower colors: mainly yellow
Gardenia
In fact, Gardenias do not only bloom at night; it’s just that their fragrance becomes more intense and pronounced in the evening. The cool air helps the scent of the flowers to spread more delightfully than at other times during the day.
Gardenias have a distinctive fragrance, subtly hinting at orange blossoms and sweet vanilla, mixed with a touch of warm herbal notes. This fragrance often evokes a sense of comfort and relaxation for a pleasant and luxurious atmosphere. Due to the unique properties of this night-blooming plant fragrance, Gardenias are frequently used in the fragrance industry for essential oils, candles, and perfumes
The color of Gardenia flowers is usually pure white, although some varieties may be pale yellow. Beyond their beauty and enchanting fragrance, Gardenias also symbolize purity, feminine beauty, and harmony in Eastern cultures
Botanical name:
Mature size: about 4-8 feet
Fragrance: orange blossoms, and sweet vanilla, mixed with warm herbal notes
Flower colors: pure white
Mock Orange
Mock orange is a perennial shrub belonging to the Hydrangeaceae family. Mock orange’s pure white flowers resemble and smell like orange blossoms, although they are not related. These flowers typically bloom in late spring or early summer and emit a captivating orange-jasmine fragrance throughout the day. However, the scent of Mock Orange can become particularly intense and more noticeable in the cooler evening and early morning air, when there are fewer competing scents in the environment. For this reason, the presence of Mock orange in your moon garden provides a wonderful opportunity for evening strolls.
Botanical name: Philadelphus
Mature size: about 6 to 12 feet tall
Fragrance: orange-jasmine fragrance
Flower colors: pure white
Four O’Clock Alba
Four o’Clock alba comes with many colors, and its flowers open in the late afternoon, about 4 PM, and close the next morning. Each flower has its own unique scent, but generally, they all emit a sweet, gentle, and refreshing fragrance. Some describe its scent as similar to citrusy scent. The fragrance of Four o’Clock alba also changes throughout the day. In the morning and during the day, it usually offers a fresh and light scent, while in the evening, the scent becomes richer to attract the night pollinators such as moths and bees.
Botanical name: Mirabilis jalapa
Mature size: about 2-3 feet tall
Fragrance: citrusy scent
Flower colors: various colors: pure white, pink, purple, red, yellow
Queen of the Night Cactus
Queen of the Night Cactus is a wonderful addition to any night-blooming flower collection or moon garden. There are also some other enchanting names such as Night Blooming Cereus, Princess of the Night Flower, Night Cactus, and Queen of the Night Flower.
Originating from the Sonoran Desert in North America, Queen of the Night Cactus belongs to the genus Epiphyllum and the Cactaceae family. This nocturnal bloom displays various colors: white, red, blue, yellow, and purple and normally range in size from 10-20 cm. The petals slightly embrace one another. When it blooms, the Queen of the Night creates a subtle, gentle, and refined fragrance. The most remarkable aspect is the fleeting nature of its bloom; the flowers open for just 2-3 hours at night and wilt by the next morning. During the day, the Queen of the Night is just a common cactus, but the true beauty is only spectacularly unveiled under the cover of darkness.
Symbolically, the Queen of the Night represents purity and romantic love.
Botanical name: Cereus hildmannianus
Mature size: about 4 to 6 feet
Fragrance: a subtle, gentle fragrance
Flower colors: white, red, blue, yellow, purple
Tuberose
Currently, there are hundreds of different types of lilies, but all belong to the same genus, Lilium. The fragrance of the Tuberose is not like any other flower but has its own unique smell. It is sweet like cream, enchanting and refreshing as a summer breeze, yet still exudes an air of elegance. Because of these unique qualities, the Tuberose has become an invaluable inspiration in the perfume industry.
Botanical name: Polianthes tuberosa
Mature size: about 3 feet
Fragrance: a sweet, refreshing fragrance
Flower colors: white
Conclusion
As all else sleeps, these night-blooming flowers gently bloom their lovely petals. With the 10 flowers that bloom at night above, you can create an enchanting moon garden right at your home. Let these nocturnal flowers become your companions, offering you moments of relaxation after a long day’s work.