Night bloomers: Flowers that work the night shift

By Pam Baytos

OSU Extension master gardener volunteer

Most plants live for the daylight hours when they can turn sunlight into energy and attract bees and other pollinating insects with their showy floral displays.

But some plants operate on a very different schedule, waiting until night to open up their blossoms.

There in the dark, these flowers of the night send forth their sweet fragrances, attracting not only humans, but also nocturnal garden pollinators such as moths and beetles.

These flowers are perfect for those of you on the night shift or swing shifts this summer.

The thought of night bloomers brings to mind images of jasmines and gardenias, but these subtropical shrubs are too tender for outdoor growing in our zone.

Instead of moving, try some of the following plants for your garden here in the Mahoning Valley.

Moonflower (Ipomoea alba) is a close relative of the popular morning glory and climbs with much the same vigor up a pole or trellis. Its large, pure white flowers are clove-scented and begin to open in the late afternoon. In warmer growing regions, moonflower is a tender perennial that can grow up to 40 feet in a single season.

Flowering tabacco (Nicotiana alota) has long tubular flowers that are creamy white and green on the outside and pure white on the inside. When they open in the late afternoon or evening, they release a sweet, jasmine-like scent that attracts hummingbirds.

Four-o’clocks (Mirabilis jalapa) is a plant with a name that roughly corresponds to the hour it opens its blooms. The plant grows up to 3 feet tall and has dark green foliage and long tubular flowers in white, red, pink or yellow. They are often striped or mottled. This tender annual blooms from midsummer until frost.

Evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) is a hardy biennial that grows to 6 feet and releases its sweet fragrance when its yellow flowers open in the late afternoon. The flowers form in succession and bloom over a long period of time. Evening primrose readily self-sows and can become invasive if not watched. To prevent this from happening, remove all ripening seedpods from the plant.

Evening stock (Matthiloa bicornis) grows about 15 inches tall and bears small lavender flowers that remain inconspicuous during the day, but open toward evening or after a rain shower, releasing their powerful scent. This hardy annual blooms from midsummer into early fall.

Everblooming honeysuckle (Lonicera heckrottii) is an old-fashioned vine-like shrub that boasts beautiful purple trumpet flowers tinged a soft yellow inside their throats. It survives in zones 5-8, thus a great choice for a permanent addition to your garden. Its blossoms last from June until frost, hence the common name. Like other night-loving plants, it releases its scent only at the end of the day, to perfume the evening air.

To plan a nighttime garden at your home, find a secluded area in your garden, plant a night bloomer, set out some comfy chairs and relax after a hard day while enjoying your favorite beverage.

For details on these plants and other options, go to http://go.osu.edu/nightshift.