18 Best Flowers That Bloom at Night for a Beautiful Moon Garden
They positively glow in the darkness. 🌕✨
Calling all night owls! Moon gardens are enchanted places where night-blooming flowers fill your senses with soothing silvery-white shades and sweet fragrances. When the heat of summer days becomes too much for you, it's an ideal way to enjoy the outdoors in the cool of the evening. Trust us, with these flowers that bloom at night, your landscape will emit a dreamlike effect that you'll want to admire every time the sun goes down.
When planning your moon garden, mix it up with annuals, perennials, and shrubs to ensure you have a succession of summer flowers blooming throughout the entire growing season. Like any other garden, choose plants that are suited for your USDA Hardiness zone, then plant them where they receive the right kind of light. For example, full sun is considered six or more hours of direct sunlight per day, and most blooming plants need their minimum in order to perform well. And because pollinators such as moths are hard at work at night, too, you're also supporting beneficial insect populations.
The best part? Moon garden plants reflect the light of the moon or outdoor lighting. Add your own backyard lighting and it will only enhance the atmosphere, whether it's solar-powered lanterns on stakes or fairy lights draped over nearby shrubs or railing. LED candles are another way to add low-maintenance ambiance. It doesn't have to be overpowering, just a simple twinkly appearance to increase the allure of your garden at night. So go ahead, sit outside on your porch on a summer night and surround yourself with these night-blooming flowers—it's magical!
Casa Blanca Lily
With their intense fragrance and big, beautiful blooms that grow on stems three to four feet tall and gleam white in the moonlight, you'll definitely want to be nearby whenever they open each night. The perennial bulbs will flower from mid to late summer and thrive in cooler regions. This lily prefers full sun but will also grow in part sun to part shade. Note: All lilies are toxic to cats and dogs.
Evening Primrose
Our favorite thing abut these flowers is the blooms open quickly in the evening so you can sit outside and watch them come to life right before your eyes. Then, they'll stay open until around noon the next day. It's a biennial plant that will fill your garden with it's pretty, lemon-scented yellow flowers from late spring to late summer. Plus, it attracts plenty of pollinators like bees and butterflies as well as nighttime pollinators such as moths and bats.
Tuberose
Tuberose is often used in perfumes, making it the perfect choice for those of you who want your night-blooming florals to have a strong, inviting fragrance. The tall clusters of white flowers on this perennial plant will open at night and shine under the moon from mid to late summer. They can grow two to three feet tall and each stem can bear a dozen or more blooms. Keep in mind that this one prefers warmer climates and an area with full sun.
Moonflower
You’ll naturally want to include this tropical climbing vine, which is part of the morning glory family. It has large white flowers that bloom as the sun sets. They'll need a trellis to climb, and if you don’t want them to reseed freely in your garden, snip off the flower heads after they bloom. In hot climates, this vine is perennial and may be considered invasive, so it should only be grown in containers. Moonflower needs full sun.
Impatiens
If you have a shady back yard, white impatiens are an inexpensive, low-maintenance annual that offer non-stop blooms from spring to frost. Their gentle white "glow" is soothing and appealing when planted in large drifts around seating areas. Impatiens need mostly shade but will tolerate some mild morning sun. Some types of impatiens tolerate full sun, but read the label to be sure about what you're buying.
Sweet Alyssum
Sweet alyssum has teeny, delicate flowers and looks amazing tumbling out of window boxes, pots, and over stone walls. Its petite white flowers bloom profusely all summer until a freeze, and this annual has a sweet, honey scent that's delightful when planted near seating areas. Sweet alyssum needs full sun.
Lamb's Ear
This old-fashioned perennial has touchable, fuzzy, silvery leaves that resemble a lamb's ear. It also has spikes of mid-summer flowers that pollinators love. Lamb's ear needs full sun but will tolerate some shade.
Heuchera
This perennial, also called coral bells, is an outstanding plant for any style of garden. Although heuchera comes in every color of the rainbow, the varieties with silver leaves are iridescent in the evening light, and it's deer and rabbit resistant. Plant in groups of three or more for best effect. Heuchera takes part to full sun.
Shasta Daisy
These sunny-faced flowers are a cheery addition to your garden in mid to late summer. Many new cultivars or cultivated varieties are available, including those with frilly or fringed petals. Plant these perennials in groups in full sun for best effect.
Climbing Hydrangea
This climbing vine is a beautiful option for a trellis or arbor. It takes a few years to kick into gear, but once it takes off, it's lacy blooms will wow you with their elegant form and sweet scent. Climbing hydrangea needs mostly shade.
Angelonia
This annual, often called summer snapdragon, blooms all summer long until a frost. It comes in many colors, but the spikey white flowers offer vertical interest to mixed containers or serve as a focal point when planted in drifts. Angelonia needs full sun.
Hosta
There are hundreds of types of hostas, but the ones with silvery accents are especially appealing on a moonlit night. Although hostas need mostly shade, they can take a little bit of morning sun, which also ensures their best coloration.
Petunia
Good, old-fashioned petunias in shades of white are a reliable choice for season-long color and a light scent in your moon garden. Look for newer hybrids that don't require deadheading but keep on blooming. Petunias need full sun.
Dead Nettle
Although this perennial has a rather unflattering name, its silvery foliage is an attractive ground cover. Pink, white or purple flowers appear in late spring. Dead nettle, also called lamium, prefers shade but will tolerate some sun.
Night-Blooming Jasmine
This shrubby vine has the most amazing night-blooming flowers with a strong fragrance. It's considered invasive in some parts of the country, so keep it in a large container and give it at trellis to climb. It's perennial in hot climates but can be wintered indoors in cold areas. Jasmine needs full sun.
Rose
Every garden needs a rose! New varieties are not as fussy as you think, and many bloom all summer long. Plant scented white roses near your garden to enjoy their ethereal glow, as well as their gentle fragrance. Roses need full sun.
Hydrangea
With hundreds of varieties of hydrangeas in every size, you'll find one that fits into your garden design. Many hydrangeas bloom white, turning to pale green or pink as they age. Plant these hardy shrubs in mixed borders or as accents. Their papery flowers reflect nighttime lights, while their exceptionally long bloom time make them a must-have in any garden. Many types can take full sun in the north but prefer afternoon shade in the south. But make sure they have some sun or they won't bloom well.
Arricca Elin SanSone has written about health and lifestyle topics for Prevention, Country Living, Woman's Day, and more. She’s passionate about gardening, baking, reading, and spending time with the people and dogs she loves.
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