Perhaps you have noticed how many butterflies fly not only on hot summer days but also on cool nights. They all seek nectar from flowers. Often, night-blooming flowers emit even stronger fragrances than those that only open under the sun's rays. That's why some species of flowering plants bloom specifically at night, as it's only during this time of day that you can truly appreciate their beauty and fragrance.
Adaptations of Night-Blooming
Plants Night-blooming flowers have evolved to be pollinated by insects that are active during the dark hours. Night-blooming jasmine (Cestrum), epiphyllum, and angel's trumpet (Brugmansia) open their petals and release a strong and delightful fragrance at night, attracting moths and other nighttime pollinators.
Examples of Night-Blooming
Plants In our climate, the most well-known night-blooming plants include evening primrose, magnolia, and night-blooming cereus. However, these are not the only representatives, so let's consider a list of popular night-blooming flowers.
Night-Blooming Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora)
Magnolia has sturdy leaves that are large and leathery. The flowers of the Grandiflora variety are creamy-white, but there are also magnolia varieties in shades of burgundy, pink, white, yellow, purple, violet, and cream. The aroma of magnolia combines sweet, vanilla, and lemony notes, creating a harmonious scent that positively affects one's emotional state.
Night Violet (Episcia)
Night violet, also known as episcia, is a low-growing plant that is famous for its lush clusters of flowers. Violet enthusiasts can enjoy a variety of colors. Night violet blooms most profusely during the nighttime hours, with a flowering period of approximately two months. This flower can tolerate light frosts, making it resilient against early autumn chills.
Stock (Matthiola)
This plant is known for its abundant flowering. Its petals are very delicate. Stock is often planted in garden flower beds. The most popular stock varieties come in shades of blue, yellow, purple, and white. The scent of stock is delicate and even intoxicating. It is a flower for romantics and dreamers.
In addition to the above-mentioned night-blooming plants, other plants with amazing blooms and scents include:
- Evening Primrose - a bushy plant that stands out with its yellow, white, red, and light-blue delicate flowers.
- Four O'Clocks, which demonstrate characteristics of cross-pollination. If you plant several four o'clock bushes, each with distinct flower colors, in the next season, each bush may have flowers in all the shades of the nearby four o'clock.
- Alyssum, which unites several annual and perennial low-growing subshrubs that can produce white, lilac, and yellow flowers. Alyssum has a sweet aroma reminiscent of honey.
- Night-Blooming Tobacco, known for its incredible decorative appearance, which is why it is popular worldwide. Its flowers can have cream, carmine, white, or pale blue hues. They open after eight o'clock in the evening. Some plants have a faint scent, while others are quite fragrant and can be smelled from a distance.
- Moonflower (Ipomoea alba) - a representative of the morning glory family, is known for its fragrance and long-lasting blooming period. The delicate white flowers open at sunset and close at sunrise.
- Evening Primrose, which blooms brightly with lemon-colored flowers from June to September and starts opening only after darkness falls.
- The rare and unusual Gladiolus "Tristis" reveals its beauty only to those who wait for the night. It boasts milky flowers, sometimes with veins of lemon, pink, powdery, or purple shades.
- Angel's Trumpet (Brugmansia), characterized by its funnel-shaped white or pinkish flowers on the outside and white on the inside, emits a captivating fragrance.
Each night flower may seem secretive, but it is a beautiful manifestation of nature's creativity. These plants are most revealing to romantic individuals who appreciate the beauty and mystery of warm summer and autumn nights.
