Growing and gardening with the night-blooming plants, and an in-depth study of the Moonflower.

PALE FLOWER OF THE NIGHT---THE ALLURING MOONFLOWER
1,764 words Published 1999 Llewellyn's Annual Moon Sign Book
By Carly Wall

Often during the summer, I visit various herb gardens, farms and shops near and far. I’m always surprised at the versatile and innovative ways people create herb gardens or shops. There have never been two shops that are quite the same. One place that grows acres of many different and interesting herbs and plants is not too far from my home. It was an enchanting mix of herbal whimsy and was run by a woman who absolutely loves the plants---you can just tell. I discovered her place some years back, but it always sticks in my mind that as I pulled into her drive, the first thing I spied was a gorgeous vine of large deep green leaves and giant white blooms. It was tucked at the edge of her porch in a semi-shaded nook. I immediately wanted one of those plants for my own. Surely, I thought, it had to be some rare specimen from some far-off land. Surely it was very hard to grow. Where did it come from, and what was its history?
“Oh, that. That’s my moonflower,” the lady said with a dismissive wave. She grabbed a few seeds from a dried flower pod and handed them to me. I cupped them in my hand. “Now come around back to the deck and we’ll drink some tea and I’ll tell you all about it.”
I remember that cool soft evening with great fondness. That lady introduced me to two loves of my life; one was her raspberry-leaf tea concoction. It was a sweet, yet tangy taste I’ve never quite been able to match. I don’t know what else she mixed with it, but I do love raspberry leaf tea. Someday, she may share her secret there. But the other love she introduced me to was a flower that matches no other. Named after the moon, it has an appropriate title, for the silvery white blooms bob in the night like beacons and they only open as the moon’s rays begin to shine. Grab a cup of tea, raspberry leaf if you like, and let me tell you all about it.
WHAT THE MOONFLOWER OFFERS
There seems to be many things that make this plant a must to add to your flower garden. The first is that it is so unusual, so exotic and yet very easy to obtain and grow. The next and most important, is that it is a plant which loves the moonlight, and so can enchant any and all on inky summer nights with its luminescent flowers and exotic yet entrancing scent.
It is called Ipomeoea maxima, but also Ipomeoea Alba, I. Grandiflora, I. Noctiflora, I. Bona-nox, and Calonyction aculeatum. Such many and varied names for this tropical perennial from South and Central America! Actually, we treat it as an annual here in northern climes (it blooms the first year from seed, don’t you know---and that means immediate gratification!).
Actually, it is a night-blooming cousin to the morning glory. At the first sign of the sun’s rays, as the morning glories are just waking up, the moonflowers are closing their sleepy heads after an all-night orgy of fragrance. Moonflowers open at dusk. You can actually watch them as they slowly pop open. Many a time I have enjoyed seeing the tight buds slowly swirl as the petals unfurl. It takes up to twenty minutes but it is a sight to see, and something guests can enjoy too if you are prone to having late dinner parties on the patio in summer. Fully open, they exude a rich scent some say is reminiscent of magnolias, but which I think is a lemony, musky-sweet scent; quite intense. That’s why it is best to have a plant or two tucked near the house; at an entrance, near the deck, or around a bedroom window, so you can fully enjoy the aromatic treat.
The white flowers outshine all others in an evening garden. They just seem to glow or brighten up at night. Perhaps it is because they are so prolific. The heart-shaped dark green leaves are thick, and luxurious. While the plant is covered from midsummer until killing frost with many flowers, each opens only one night, with the plant creating new blossoms for insects and moths to visit each evening.
Somehow, the plant knows that evening has come, perhaps it measures in some way the length of daylight or light intensity, since on cloudy days the blooms may be seen too. However, the moonflower isn’t the only night bloomer. Some of the night-blooming plants boast an accuracy that is astounding. Take for example the 4-o’clocks, which one can set their watch by.
GROWING YOUR OWN MOONFLOWERS
With all that to its’ merit, you may think that there’s a hidden catch somewhere. Honestly, there isn’t. The moonflower may grow up to 40 feet in tropical areas, but for the colder climates, it will flourish 10 feet or more. Make sure that you have something sturdy for this plant to climb on. They can be heavy with all those buds and flowers. It’s actually a good flower to cover unsightly areas and will easily be trained to grow on tall tomato stakes, string, wire or across arbors.
Don’t be fooled by the slow start it takes. As hot weather takes over, the vines will suddenly take off, running up any support in its’ reach in a thick leafy cover. It can take six to eight weeks from sowing for the vine to begin flowering. In areas with no frost, as the temperatures cool down, the vine will die back.
But if you are worrying about the heat, don’t. These plants love hot weather.
The seeds are encased in a hard shell-like armor, so you can quicken the germination by soaking them in warm water overnight. Or you can use a knife to nick the seedpods. The moonflower grows in most soils, so plant it where you want it (in full sun or part shade in the south) when the soil temperatures reach 70 degrees F. and pretty much stays in that temperature range. If insects or moths neglect to pollinate your plant, you can remedy the situation by using cotton swabs to dust the flower’s stigma with a bit of pollen.
A GARDEN OF THE NIGHT
Just as the sun has its plants and pollinators, the silvery light of the moon has its flowers and creatures that tend them.
If you enjoy the beauty and elegance of the moonflower, you may want to get some other night bloomers to complement your planting. Since the moonflower is so strongly scented, you may not want to mix it with other scents as you can get over-powered.
Here are a few which blend in well with the moonflower:
Night blooming silene (Silene noctiflora: These plants have white creamy flowers with pink centers. They grow 3 feet tall.
Evening primrose (O. trichocaly): It blooms the first year from seed, opens white blooms at dusk which stay open but only scents the air at night. It self-seeds and grows 4-6 feet tall.
Japenese daylily (H. Thunbergii): A late bloomer, opens July and August with 3 inch blossoms.
If the moonflower is enough of a bloomer by itself, you might want to finish it off with some silver foliage plants, which complement the white blooms and glow silvery in the moonlight. Try these:
Silver Mound (Artemisia Schmidtiana): It grows 4-6 inches with soft silky and silvery leaves. It is a perennial which comes back every year.
Russian Sage (Azure Sage: A shrubby perennial which grows three to five feet tall. It has narrow silvery white stems and leaves. In mid to late summer, small purple flowers in spikes appear. A mild aroma when brushed against, prune back to the ground each spring.
Santolina(S.Incana): Also called lavender cotton, it is a silvery-gray evergreen perennial growing 1-2 feet tall. Mulch well in fall and prune well. It likes full sun.
Dusty Miller (Centaurea Maritima: A perky silver plant with soft, white fuzz and thick, fern-like shaped branches. It loves warm weather and full sun.

Luna moths and other insects find these night flowers by the silver glow (since most of them are white or light in color), or by their intense smell. The daytime flowers are brightly colored to attract the attention of birds, bees, butterflies and other visitors. If you plant night-blooming moon gardens, you can expect to see all kinds of unusual pollinators.
Moth pollinators go for flowers that are white, and heavily perfumed so that they may detect the plant from very far away. During the day, the moths rest hidden under leaves or in nooks and crannies of trees or other hiding places where predators cannot find them. Here are a few of the moths you may find attracted to your new night-blooming planting:
Pink-spotted Hawkmoth (Agrius cingulatus), with a four inch wingspan. The caterpillars feed on jimsonweed, pawpaws, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and many morning glories.
Luna Moth (Actias luna), a very beautiful, pale green moth which has spots on its 4 inch wings which resemble eyes, and a long tail. The caterpillar feeds on willows, cherries and beeches.
Io Moth(Automeris io), another beautiful , yet common species they are a little smaller, only about 3 inches, with white-centered, black and blue spots on the hindwings. The caterpillars eat anything within reach and do carry an irritating poison in their spines so watch out!
Isabella Tiger Moth (Pyrrharctia isabella), is a small moth of about an inch and colored dark orange. The caterpillar may be very familiar to you as they are called the Wooly Bears, with fuzzy red/brown and black bands. In fall they scurry around looking for a winter hiding spot. They love to eat asters, clover, corn, sunflowers and maples.
You can see now that the fall of dusk doesn’t have to end your enjoyment of your garden. If this whets your appetite for a moonlit bloom fest, you can easily find any and all of the plants mentioned here. Just visit your local nursery or you can send off for catalogs from these places:
Wayside Gardens
1 Garden Lane
Hodges, SC 29695-0001
1-800-845-1124 Free catalog---Rare and common plants

Nichols Garden Nursery, Inc.
1190 N. Pacific Highway
Albany, OR 97321
1-503-928-9280 Free catalog---Herb plants and seeds

Park Seed Co.
P.O. Box 31
Greenwood, S.C. 29648
1-803-223-8555 Free catalog---Broad range of annuals and perennials

Seeds Blum
Idaho City Stage
Boise, ID 83706
1-208-342-0858 Catalog $3---Specializing in heirloom and ornamentals