They say fragrance is the soul of a flower, but let’s face the facts. the impact is well and truly amplified once the sun goes down. After all, there are few things more magical than stepping outside on a warm summer evening and being hit with the scent of flowers wafting through the air.
If there’s one thing I know, it’s this aromatic plants Don’t really come to theirs until the sun goes down. my beautiful jasminein fact, it proves this point a thousand times over.
The result? A garden that smells as good as it looks – especially on warm summer nights when the warm air helps carry those intoxicating smells into the yard.
The best night flowers
Sure, daytime blooms may steal the limelight, but many beautiful flowers have evolved to release their strongest fragrance after dark to attract nocturnal pollinators like fireflies, batsand other nocturnal cuties. (Possibly even yours birth month animalif you’re lucky).
So either you create a dedicated garden of the moon Or you just want your patio to feel a little more luxurious after the sun goes down, these are the night flowers worth planting.
1. Gardenia
(Image credit: Santiago Urquijo/Getty Images)
Few fragrances are as unmistakable – or as luxurious – as gardenia. The bush’s creamy white flowers release a rich, heady fragrance… and yes, you better believe it only seems to intensify on warm summer evenings.
In warmer USDA planting zonesgardenias can be grown outdoors year-round, while gardeners in colder climates often enjoy them in containers that can be moved indoors during the winter. Either way, placing one near a doorway or patio is a decision you’re unlikely to regret.
Buy Gardenia plants below:
Nature Hills Nursery
August Beauty Gardenia
Hardy in all USDA growing zones 8 through 11, these plants shine in sunlight and moonlight.
Nature Hills Nursery
Pillow Talk® Gardenia
Pillow Talk® Gardenia fills the garden with an intoxicating fragrance and stunning double white blooms all season long.
Nature Hills Nursery
Steady as She Goes® Gardenia
Known for its pure white, double flowers and deep green evergreen foliage, this Gardenia is a reliable choice for stunning summer flowers.
Nature Hills Nursery
Pillow Talk® Gardenia
Pillow Talk® Gardenia fills the garden with an intoxicating fragrance and stunning double white blooms all season long.
2. Mock Orange
(Image credit: Getty Images)
When taunts orange burst into bloom, you’ll know. Its sparkling white flowers fill the garden with a lovely citrus and jasmine fragrance that drifts beautifully in the warm evening air.
This easy going shrub is ideal for borders, wildlife gardens or anywhere you regularly sit outdoors, especially if you want to after sunset (I realize I sound like Count Dracula, but I promise my intentions are pure!).
Just be warned: once you perceive the iconic orange in full bloom, you’ll find yourself coming up with reasons to get outside. Try it out Illuminati Sparks™ Mock Orange by Nature Hills for a dreamy citrus scent that perfumes the air and attracts butterflies and bees in abundance.
3. Moonlight
(Image: Kev Kibble/Getty Images)
If there was an official flower of garden of the moonthat would be it. Moonflowers unfold their large, bright white flowers at dusk, often opening so quickly you can watch it in real time.
These night-scented flowers stay open all night, releasing a sweet scent that attracts moth pollinators. Grow them over an arch, pergola or pergola near a living room and you’ll be rewarded with a truly theatrical evening display.
Get some Moonflower seeds from Sow Right Seeds and you’re halfway there, basically!
4. Stock with night scent
(Image: Hana Richterova/Getty Images)
Stock with night scent it’s proof that looks can be deceiving. During the day, its small flowers can look quite unassuming. But come the evening, this one country garden favorite transformations.
As the temperatures drop, the flowers release an intensely sweet, spicy scent that can fill an entire garden. Plant it near paths, patios or open windows where its fragrance can be fully appreciated.
Get a package Evening Primrose Stock Seeds from Everwilde Farmsso, stat!
5. Flowering tobacco
(Image credit: Ros Drinkwater / Alamy)
Nicotiana it’s another one of those plants that lovingly saves its best for later in the day. In fact, many varieties produce tubular flowers that become especially fragrant at night, making them a kind of “duh, obviously” choice in moon gardens and pollinator-friendly planting schemes.
Elegant flowers also attract hummingbirds and moths, adding movement as well as fragrance to your night garden. Get some Flowering Tobacco Seeds from Seedville USAso get to work!
6. Jasmine that blooms at night
(Image: Manuel Breva Colmeiro/Getty Images)
Obvious choice? Maybe, but there’s good reason for that, as night-scented jasmine is legendary among fragrance lovers. Although the flowers themselves are relatively small and inconspicuous, they produce an extremely strong fragrance after dark.
Fragrance can travel surprisingly long distances on summer evenings, so it’s best planted where you can enjoy its scent without overwhelming nearby spaces. In colder areas, it grows well in containers that can be brought indoors for the winter.
Buy Jasmine Plants:
Daisy boat
Night blooming jasmine
Night Jasmine does exactly what it says on the tin. releases a rich, sweet scent after sunset, filling your garden or patio with its signature tropical scent. Ideal for moon gardens and outdoor evening spaces.
Nature Hills Nursery
Star Jasmine
Despite the name, star jasmine it’s not a true jasmine, but it produces masses of beautifully fragrant white flowers in summer, and its glossy evergreen leaves mean it looks good all year round. In fact, I’d argue it’s just as romantic as the real thing.
Nature Hills Nursery
Confederate Jasmine
Closely related to star jasmine, Confederate jasmine is another evergreen climber prized for its strong fragrance and elegant white flowers. It is a popular choice in warmer climates and makes a great patio plant.
7. Trumpet of the Angel
With its huge hanging flowers and intoxicating evening fragrance, the angel’s trumpet (also known as brugmansia) is one of those night-scented flowers that is guaranteed to stop visitors in their tracks.
Japanese maples and evergreens
Double White Trumpet Angel
The sweet scent of this trumpet plant is strongest at night.
Many varieties become more fragrant at night, releasing a sweet scent designed to attract moth pollinators. Tropical-looking flowers make a dramatic statement in containers or borders, particularly when placed where they can be enjoyed on long summer evenings.
A quick note: All parts of angel’s trumpet are toxic if ingested, so be careful when planting around children and pets.
A great garden shouldn’t fade when the sun goes down, and it never has to just as good as it seems; fragrance is everything! And luckily, with just a few night-scented plants in your borders, containers or patio screens, you can create an outdoor space that feels just as magical at 9 p.m. as at 9 a.m.
Personally, as someone who rarely gets a moment of peace until the bedtime battles are over, I’m all for plants saving their best for the evening shift.
