The Education Network Best Ten List Articles
Moonlit nights have their beauty. Imagine a beautiful night with a cool breeze touching the cheeks softly, the sweet fragrance of night-blooming flowers spread in the air, a mug of coffee or tea steaming in your hands, and your family by your side.
Nothing can be more beautiful, pleasing, and comforting than this after a hard day at work. I find night-blooming flowers as an integral part of lawns and gardens. I have listed down ten of such enamoring flowers.
10. Evening Primrose
Evening Primrose (Botanical name: Oenothera biennis) is a plant from the Onagraceae family originally indigenous to North America but is now found in Europe, Asia, New Zealand, and Australia.
The beautiful yellow-flowered is named Evening Primrose because the flower blossoms only at night. The plant is famous medically.
Its seeds, leaves, oil of the seeds, and root are used in medicines. Night-time insects like the nocturnal sphinx moths pollinate these plants.
The plant grows between 3 and 5 feet tall. The flowers are between 0.78 to 2 inches.
9. Night Bloom Water Lilies
This tropical night-bloomer flower can never go unnoticed in any pond. This is a water lily deep crimson red or pink or purple.
It blossoms in the evening twilight. This beautiful bright flower floating in the water looks most mysterious against a dark background.
The tropical lilies are larger than the hardy lilies, and in most cases, the colors are more intense than the hardy lilies. The flowers are 7” – 10” in size. Each flower has 19 – 20 petals and a faint but pungent smell.
8. Moonflowers
Moonflowers (Botanical name: Ipomoea) are called moonflowers because they bloom in the moonlight. These are beautiful pink or white flowers. The flowers quickly open at night and last the entire night. They close when the sunlight touches their petals.
The plant has a height of up to 15 feet. The propagation is by seed. The flower should be planted when the moon is new or increasing.
7. Night Gladiolus
The beautiful Night Gladiolus (Botanical name: Gladiolus tristis) is a creamy yellow flower with a pleasant spicy fragrance. It is usually grown in dense areas with heavy rainfall.
These are also found near sea level to high elevations. They bloom in late spring and early to midsummers. The usual height is 36 to 48 inches.
Its name comprises of two words; Night and Gladiolus. Gladiolus is a word of Latin origin meaning sword. Parts of this plant are poisonous and can cause skin irritations and allergic reactions. The plant is attractive to butterflies, bees, and insects.
6. Casablanca Lily
Source
The Casablanca Lily is a costly and fragrant flower used in perfumes and weddings. It is a part of the Lilium Genus, which has more than 110 species. The flower has six petals, and the colors vary from white, yellow, orange, and purple to pink.
If all types are planted, the garden will look like a splash of colors from the color palette. The flower is elegant, delicate, and has an excellent fragrance.
5. Nottingham Catchfly
Nottingham is a white wildflower with a pink tint and hairy leaves. It is attractive to night-flying insects and moths. Its heavy fragrance fills the evening air.
The walls of Nottingham Castle were once covered with these beautiful flowers, so they got their name. These flowers were destroyed during the construction and renovation works of the castle in the 19th century. Nottingham catchfly has a narrow and lance-shaped stem and spoon-shaped lower leaves.
4. Four O’ Clocks
Four O’ Clocks
These beautiful nights blooming flowers are tender perennial. They bloom in spring and summer. These flowers are available in several colors ranging from red, yellow, pink, and blue to white.
They need total sun exposure to grow and start blooming at 4 pm hence got their name. Also, they make excellent hedges and barriers. They have an outstanding fragrance when open.
3. Saussurea Obvallata / Brahma Kamal
Brahma Kamal
Saussurea Obvallata is also known as Brahma Kamal. It is a beautiful night-blooming flower named after the Hindu god Brahma. It is native to China, India, and Burma. It blooms once a year at night time and has many medical uses.
The flower grows in mountains and cold areas. The flower heads are purple and are enclosed in layers of greenish-yellow boat-shaped cover papery in nature.
2. Dragon Fruit Flowers
Dragon Fruit Flower Petals Closing
Dragon Fruit is native to Mexico and Central and South America. The fruit is also cultivated in Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam and Malaysia.
They are also produced in Taiwan, Israel, and southern China. Its plant has beautiful flowers which bloom at night.
Dragon Fruit Flowers start blooming at 7 pm and reach full bloom at midnight. The beautiful big flowers bloom against the green leaves, dark black background, and fruit and provide a magnificent look. They start blooming in October and continue blooming till May.
1. Dutchman’s Pipe Cactus
Dutchman’s Pipe Cactus
Epiphyllum oxypetalum or Dutchman’s-Pipe Cactus is a large floral variety of cactus native from Mexico to Brazil. The plant can grow as tall as 20 feet (6.1 m) in height.
Its branches are dark green, and it requires moist soil. It grows in late spring and early summer, somewhere around May 30th. It blooms for only 1-2 days.
Individual flowers can be up to 11 inches (27.9 cm) long and 5 inches (12.7 cm) wide. It opens as the sun goes down. It has an intense and fresh fragrance that spreads as soon as it blooms.
