Discover Fragrant Flowers That Bloom at Night

The garden is a different world in the evening. Night-blooming plants seem to glow in the moonlight while fragrant flowers lure nectar-sipping moths; bats snapping up pesky insects; beetles; certain bees; and other pollinators. A garden designed to be enjoyed after sunset is especially inviting if you're away from home during the day and miss being outdoors.

"Moonflower" sounds romantic, but Ipomoea alba has other names, including moon vine and white morning glory. This beauty is a tender vine that unfurls silky-white, 6-inch blooms on warm evenings, perfuming the air from summer until frost and luring nocturnal pollinators like sphinx moths.

Hardy in USDA Gardening Zones 10-12, moonflowers are easy to grow from seeds. Moonflowers need moist, rich soil that drains easily and full sun to grow 10 to 20 feet tall and 6 feet across. Let them trail from hanging baskets and window boxes, climb trellises or spread as groundcovers. Moonflower plants are toxic and their seeds are hallucinogenic, so keep animals and children away.

Browse our collection of beautiful, fragrant night bloomers and make a list of the ones you want to plant. Most are easy to grow, so you'll have time to sit back and enjoy the show after dark.

Also called flowering tobacco, jasmine tobacco or night-scented tobacco, Nicotiana is an old-fashioned favorite that blooms from late afternoon into the night, luring moths and hummingbirds to its jasmine-like scent. Nicotiana alata (N. tabacum is the smoking species) ranges from 3 to 5 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide and is usually treated like an annual. In Zones 10 to 11, it's a tender perennial. Nicotiana plants contain nicotine and are toxic to animals (but bats sometimes visit for their nectar).

Give the plants moist, well-draining soil enriched with organic matter and full sun to part shade for blooms from summer to fall. There are about 67 species; Nicotiana sylvestris (not shown here) grows 3 to 6 feet tall and 1 to 3 feet wide. Its long, white, lightly fragrant flowers hang in clusters from tall stems. Most Nicotianas are easy to grow from seed. Start them indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost or direct sow them after the last frost.

Pictured here: 'Avalon Mix,' a dwarf variety with flowers in lime, pink, purple, white and red.

Night-blooming jasmine (Cestrum nocturnum) is in the same family as potatoes and tomatoes, but it certainly smells better. This woody shrub blooms all summer, opening its fragrant flowers at night. The plants tend to sprawl and re-seed freely (too freely for some gardeners). To keep fallen seeds from sprouting, mulch around the plants and rake up seedlings when you see them. Grow night-blooming jasmine in containers, as a hedge or houseplant, but keep it away from animals and people because it's toxic.

The plants take full sun to partial shade; they bear fewer blooms in shade. Indoors, keep the plant in a sunny exposure with good humidity. Night-blooming jasmine needs fertile, moist, acidic to neutral soil that drains easily. Hardy in Zones 8 to 11, it grows 6 to 15 feet tall. Night jasmine is considered invasive in Florida, Hawaii and other areas with tropical growing conditions.

Pull off the petals of chocolate daisies in the morning, when their fragrance is the strongest, to enjoy their pleasing cocoa odor. Also called chocolate flower and lyreleaf greeneyes (sic), Berlandiera lyrata belongs to the aster family and blooms at night.

In Zones 4 to 10, chocolate daisies are perennials that grow 12 to 15 inches tall and 18 to 24 inches wide. They form mounds of velvety, gray-green foliage and golden, daisy-like blooms with red-brown stamens and green eyes. Use these wildflowers in groups for the most impact. They bloom from spring until frost and are especially pretty in meadows, rock gardens and beds, where they attract pollinators like bees and butterflies. They prefer full sun but tolerate partial shade, tolerate drought, and adapt to dry, rocky or sandy soils as long as they have good drainage. They’re easy to grow, naturalize well and resist deer.

Be patient with Queen of the Night (Epiphyllum oxypetalum), a cactus that blooms once a year, usually on a summer night. The flowers fade the next day but the wait is worth it for this plant's exotic beauty. In its native Central and South America, the Queen is a tropical epiphyte — a plant that grows on other plants or structures like power poles and takes moisture and nutrients from the air and rainfall. Its sweet scent attracts bats, moths and other nighttime pollinators.

Also called Lady of the Night, orchid cactus, Dutchman’s pipe cactus and night-blooming cereus, among other names, the Queen is hardy in Zones 10 to 11. Grown indoors or out, it needs partial shade and humidity. Use a soil mix made for succulents and cacti in containers, and let the top of the soil dry out between waterings. The plants can reach 10 feet tall and 3 feet wide, so make sure potted Queens won’t tip over.

The white blooms on Philadelphus coronarius look like orange blossoms, which accounts for the plant's common name, Mockorange. These deciduous shrubs perfume the spring and summer garden with their citrusy scent. Depending on the variety, they can grow 10 to 12 feet tall, with a rounded, mounding growth habit that makes them useful as borders or hedges.

Mockorange needs full sun to partial shade and moist, loamy soil enriched with compost or manure. Be sure the soil has good drainage; the plants can't take waterlogged roots. Hardy in Zones 4 to 8, they prefer an acidic to neutral pH and tolerate some drought once they're established. Some varieties aren't as fragrant as others, so shop for your plants while they're blooming to check their scent.

Shown here: Mockorange 'Illuminati Arch,' hardy in Zones 4 to 7.

Melancholy gillyflower is an old name for night-scented stock (Matthiola longipetala), probably because it looks somewhat downcast during the day. But in the evening, its loosely held flower sprays unfold with a sweet scent. The plants grow about one foot tall in the garden or containers and bloom best in the cool weather of late spring or early summer.

Give this annual full sun to part shade in average soil with good drainage; amend the soil with a couple of inches of compost when you're planting or feed the plants when they're actively growing with a balanced fertilizer, following label directions. Try mixing night-scented stock with sweet alyssum and violas, or with nigella, poppies and cornflowers to help prop up the thin stems. Night-scented stock is very attractive to moths.

During the day, night phlox (Zaluzianskya capensis) keeps its blooms curled. At night, the star-shaped flowers open in clusters and release a vanilla scent with notes of honey and marzipan. Start these South African annuals from seeds indoors, 6 to 8 weeks before the last spring frost, or direct sow them after all chance of frost has passed.

Night phlox can thrive in containers or rich garden soil that drains easily. Give them full sun and good air circulation and keep them slightly moist. They’ll bloom from summer to fall. Once established, the plants can handle some drought. Feed them monthly with a water-soluble fertilizer or mix a granular fertilizer into their soil, following the directions on your product.

Gardeners disagree on the scent of Gladiolus tristis, commonly called night gladiolus. Some say the blooms smell like honeysuckles, while others detect the fragrance of carnations, sweet almonds, vanilla or cloves. The lovely flowers appear in the spring and have a more intense perfume at night. Native to South Africa — you may also see it called marsh Afrikaner or sword lily — this perennial grows from corms and has large, creamy-white flowers with touches of yellow and green.

After going dormant in the summer, the plants send up dark-green, sword-shaped leaves. Let the foliage die naturally before removing it. This glad grows 2 to 3 feet tall with a 4- to 6-inch spread and does best in sandy or loamy soils amended with organic materials. It needs full sun and good drainage, tolerates drought and requires little care. Gladiolus tristis spreads easily from seeds or small cormlets. All parts of the plants are toxic.

Float a night blooming water lily in your pond or container water garden and it will open at dusk; the flowers usually close by midmorning or noon the next day. Nocturnal water lilies are available with white, pink or red blooms. One of the most beautiful is Nymphaea 'Red Flare,' shown here, prized for its 7- to 10-inch flowers and handsome bronze leaves. Like most night-blooming water lilies, it has a faint scent described as spicy or pungent. Give it full sun and water that is between 12 and 30 inches deep.

These tropical plants with star-shaped blooms are hardy only in Zones 10 to 11, but you can overwinter them by storing them in containers of water that's about 70 degrees and giving them 8 to 12 hours of light a day. Put them back outside after all danger of frost has passed.

The exotic-looking dragon fruit cactus (Hylocereus undatus), also called dragon fruit plant, opens its big, fragrant blooms at night. The edible fruits have flaming-pink leathery skins and look fierce, but their flesh is sweet and speckled with small black seeds. This tropical plant is a perennial in Zones 10 to 12 and grows 8 to 20 feet tall and 3 to 10 feet wide.

Dragon fruit cacti have long stems with clinging, aerial roots, so avoid planting them near power lines, your home or other structures, or grow a small variety to treat as a houseplant. Native to South and Central America, the plants need full sun or partial shade in very hot climates. They're not picky about pH but prefer sandy, moist, well-draining soil enriched with organic matter. Water regularly once the blooms appear and reduce watering in the winter and early spring. The flowers, which are usually white, are irresistible to moths and bats.

Grown as a shrub or small tree, Brugmansia, also called angel's trumpet, is a spectacular addition to a garden or container. Native to South America, this night-bloomer bears drooping, trumpet-shaped flowers in pink, yellow, white or orange. Their rich fragrance is reminiscent of citrus, gardenia, jasmine and other flowers, and bats may visit them for their nectar.

Grow the plants in full sun and keep them well-watered, and they'll adapt to most well-draining soils. Never let them dry out and when they're blooming, give these heavy feeders a water-soluble fertilizer or "bloom booster" fertilizer as directed on the label. Don't get confused; daturas are also called angel's trumpets, but daturas have upright blooms and mature around 4 feet high. Brugmansias, which are perennials in Zones 8 to 12, can reach 20 feet. All parts of the plants are toxic to pets and people.

Pink evening primrose (Oenothera speciosa) blooms in the evening and closes its flowers by noon the following day. Attractive to nocturnal sphinx moths, this biennial is also called pink ladies. Its flowers have a complex fragrance that has been described as citrus with a hint of spice, lavender, bergamot or lily of the valley. Tiger moths, nocturnal moths that often have tiger-like stripes, and bats are attracted to evening primrose.

Evening primrose is a North American native often found growing wild in dry, rocky areas, open woodlands or along lake shores. The plants reach 3 to 5 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide in full to partial sun. They prefer moist, well-drained soil with a neutral to acidic pH and don’t mind rocky or sandy soils. Hardy in Zones 4 to 9, they don’t need fertilizing, although they’ll do best in soil amended with organic matter. Direct sow the seeds in fall if your winters are mild; otherwise, sow them outside in early spring.

Perfect for a moon garden, 'Casa Blanca' is an Oriental lily with huge, pure-white, delightfully fragrant flowers. Hardy in Zones 4 to 9, these midsummer to late-summer bloomers are sold as bulbs and produce tall, dark-green stems with six to eight blooms per stem. Plant them in a site that gets full sun to light shade with average, well-draining soil and they'll grow 3 to 4 feet tall and a foot wide. These lilies like “cool feet,” or roots, so plant low-growing ferns or hellebores around them or use mulch to help keep the soil shaded and moist. Watch your pets: 'Casa Blanca' is toxic.

Plant the bulbs in groups of three or more for a full display in the garden or containers. These gorgeous flowers can be cut for bridal bouquets and other arrangements. Snip no more than one-third of the stems just before the buds open and remove their stamens, which hold pollen that stains clothing and skin.

Evergreen Gardenia jasminoides, also called cape jasmine, gardenia or cape jessamine, is beloved for its powerful, sweet perfume. This bushy shrub, which is native to southern China and Japan, has glossy green leaves and grows 4 to 6 feet tall and wide. The flowers bloom for about three months, from midspring into summer, opening white and becoming creamy yellow as they age. Although they open during the day, the flowers are especially fragrant after dark and often attract moths. Give the plants acidic, moist, organically rich soil that drains easily and full sun to light shade in hot climates. Apply a fertilizer made for acid-loving plants following your product's directions. In the past, the plants were known as G. augusta, G. florida and G. grandiflora.

In the mid-Atlantic region and parts of the Southeastern U.S., Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda) is considered invasive. It's able to grow in full sun to partial shade and almost any soil, although this night-bloomer prefers rich, loamy soil with good drainage. Its twisting, woody vines can girdle trees and other plants until they die, while young vines can shade out vegetation on the ground. They can also damage structures they climb on — including houses — so train them to grow on an arch, an arbor, a trellis or a pergola.

Still, Japanese wisteria is sold in some nurseries and garden centers where it's prized for its hanging clusters of violet-blue, purple, white or pink spring blooms. Some plants smell sweet while others have a musky odor; the fragrance can be strong or faint. Hardy in Zones 4 to 9, these vining plants can take several years to produce flowers, so shop for wisterias that are already in bloom.

You can't set your watch by Four O'Clocks (Mirabilis jalapa), but these old-fashioned, bushy beauties do bloom late in the day and on cloudy days. Hardy in Zones 9 to 12, they're native to tropical South America, which explains why they're also called marvel of Peru. The tubular flowers open from summer into fall, when they're sometimes visited by sphinx moths and bats.

Plant Four O'Clocks in full to partial sun in well-draining, rich soil. Look for them in shades of pink, red, white, yellow and multicolors. They'll grow 2 to 3 feet tall and produce flowers that wilt the day after they open (some gardeners dislike them because the flowers don't drop off by themselves and can look untidy). Keep the plants mulched so they don't dry out and use a balanced fertilizer as the label directs. Some gardeners say Four O'Clocks smell lemony while others say they're vanilla-scented. The plants are toxic to animals and people.

Night-blooming hedgehogs? Sea urchin cacti? Those are nicknames for various species and cultivars of Echinopsis. There are more than 100 species native to central South America, all with sweetly scented blooms that open from spring to fall and usually last one to three days. Flower colors range from white to shades of red, pink and yellow.

The Easter lily cactus (Echinopsis oxygona) is hardy in Zones 9 to 11, but it's often grown as a houseplant. This drought-tolerant plant has short spines and opens its sweetly scented pink or white flowers at night, usually from late spring to summer. It grows fast, up to one foot high and 2 feet wide, and needs little care. Give it full sun to partial shade, but avoid long periods of direct sunlight, which can burn it. Easter lily cacti need well-draining loamy or sandy soil or a mix made for succulents.

Lovely in woodlands and other areas with loamy soil and partial to full shade (they can even grow under trees), night-blooming foamflowers (Tiarella cordifolia) open their white or pink blooms from spring into midsummer. Hardy in Zones 3 to 9, the frothy-looking flowers are held on short stems. Give the plants evenly moist soil with good drainage and plenty of organic matter; use a well-draining potting mix without much fertilizer if you grow them in containers. While it's not necessary to feed these perennials in the garden, you can give potted plants a complete fertilizer (one with nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus) in early spring. Follow the product's directions.

Foamflowers top out at 12 inches high and spread 12 to 36 inches wide. There are trailing and clumping types; thanks to their long runners, trailing foamflowers spread nicely and are ideal to use as groundcovers. Pollinators like bees and moths are drawn to their faint fragrance.

Shown here: 'Cutting Edge' foamflower (Tiarella hybrid)

Expect rain lilies (Zephyranthes) to flower at night after a soaking rain or even now and then during the growing season. Depending on the hybrid or cultivar, they'll bloom in spring, summer or fall, or from spring into fall. Their white, pink or yellow flowers have a light, pleasant aroma; some open in the daytime and others at night. These perennial bulbs spread easily in full sun and average or rich soil. Because they grow only 6 to 12 inches tall, they're best planted in drifts or in rock gardens, woodlands and naturalized areas or along pathways.

Rain lilies don't need fertilizer, although they'll benefit from compost mixed into clay or heavy soils. Unlike many plants, they'll tolerate soil that doesn't drain particularly well. Plant rain lilies 1 inch deep in containers or 2 to 3 inches deep in the garden in the fall. They're hardy in Zones 7 to 11. Also called fairy lilies, zephyr lilies and Atamasco lilies, rain lilies are toxic.