Moonlight Bloomers
by Bek Akin
Midnight Bloomers
Isn’t nature funny sometimes? One can wonder around their landscape and often find an indication that a critter hung out there the night before, and left its little imprint. Like the cute little footprints left on the deck by a raccoon — after it has enjoyed the meat drippings in the tin foil pan on the barbecue pit. But then there are also the not-so-cute imprints left by armadillos scavenging the lawn for bugs or worms. Leaving deep holes during their culinary endeavor, there are so many that one might think a trampling cow enjoyed the yard overnight. As well, the deer forage the plants, leaving broken and bare twigs where lovely foliage once thrived. Most of the time the damage is done while we sleep; and then we awaken to an unpleasant surprise. While this nighttime activity is not always welcomed, there are other nocturnal wonders more accepted.
Imagine the most beautiful floral delights enjoyed only in the night under the moonlight. If one plans their landscape with certain nocturnal plants, then stays up a little later or awakens a little earlier, they could enjoy a free ticket to see nature’s own beautiful wonder show. Moonlight bloomers, glowing and showing beauty beyond belief, are a stark contrast to the nighttime – one that would be worth feasting your eyes upon.
Moon flowers, night-blooming cereus, evening primrose, and four o’clock flowers are four completely different flowers worth a spot in the landscape. Lucy Maud Montgomery in Anne’s House of Dreams wrote a simple explanation when stating, “I love to smell the flowers in the dark… You get hold of their soul then.” While not all night-bloomers put out a lovely fragrance, indeed one can easily imagine the unique splendor in them. But perhaps knowing more about these flowers will allow us more enjoyment.
Moon flowers, on warm summer nights, open in minutes and last through the night until the morning sun hits them. Imagine a multitude of large white flowers, often four to six inches in diameter, that are so fragrant the aroma can waft into a house with open windows. Easily grown from seeds, these plants grow as a twining vine to a height up to 15 feet. And as with many night-bloomers, their bright white flower attract night-flying moths so they can pollinate them. They prefer at least six hours of sun daily and can grow well in zones 8 thru 11. NOTE: many gardeners suggest that since the seed is very hard one should either soak the seeds or nick them before planting.
The night-blooming Cereus is a rather homely plant, awkward and perhaps to some, ugly. It is a member of the cactus family, often hard to find, yet when found (usually a friend passes a cutting to another friend) is a vigorous gangly plant. It loves filtered light in day, and no direct sunlight in the afternoon; it is quite easy to grow. However, when the flower blooms, one might wonder the truth in that ease.
The flower bud begins along the edge of a leaf and it will dramatically increase in size. On the night of blooming the bud will begin to open about 9 to 10 PM. In a matter of about two hours the flower will completely appear – literally before your eyes. The flower is white, very showy, and huge! And to add to the exquisite display, the petals are in shapes that from a distance one might actually think it is a garden fairy. As with the moon flower, the flower lives only for that night.
Everyone in this part of Texas has likely seen the evening primrose. This wildflower spreads along the highways to form colonies of upright to sprawling one and one-half foot plants. Also known as buttercups, this plant bears cup-shaped flowers ranging in color from white to dark pink. It is very hardy even in drought conditions and can be grown in one’s landscape in beds. The evening primrose is another plant that most of its species literally open their flowers in the evening only to close them by morning. However, the pink variety opens it flowers in the morning and closes them at night.
And finally there are the forever nostalgic four o’clock flowers that can be found with white, pink, red, yellow and even two-toned blooms. They are called four o’clocks because, you guessed it — they open around four o’clock. And they remain open through the night. Wonderfully fragrant and fun to enjoy, this writer has wonderful memories of summer visits to the grandparents’ home. While sitting on their front porch where family stories were told and everyone sipped on iced tea or water to keep cool, the four o’clock bushes provided an afternoon ambiance with their blooms and fragrance.
Four o‘clock flowers are sown from seeds covered with one-fourth to one-half inch soil. They germinate quickly, growing rapidly to a two to four foot bushy plant. They are particularly fun when different color varieties are planted together, 12 inches apart. They prefer full sun but tolerate some shade. They also like their composted soil moist.
The Walker County Master Gardeners plant sale on October 10th will have seeds available for sale, and some of these varieties of plants will be among them. What a wonderful plan for the landscape to dream of bright glowing flowers at night. Why not take time to plan next year’s moonlight bloomers for your landscape?
For more information on the Walker County Master Gardeners, please call (936) 435-2426 or go to www.walkercountymastergardener.org/ The WCMG website is a bounty of useful gardening information and citizens are encouraged to peruse it often.
If you have any questions about the information in this article or any of the Extension programs, please contact the Walker County AgriLife Extension Office at (936)435-2426, or walker-tx@tamu.edu. Extension programs serve people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability or national origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas cooperating. A member of the Texas A&M University System and its statewide agriculture program.
