Moon Gardens

Many of us work long hours and the only time that we can enjoy our garden is at night. That is where a moon garden comes into play. Moon gardens feature white flowers and foliage that will glow in the moonlight and also sweet smelling flowers to please our human senses and which will also attract pollinators like colorful moths and other flying insects. The insects that are attracted to the nectar rich flowers may, if you're lucky, attract bats which will eat thousands of mosquitoes each night. Here is a list of some plants that have done well in our Southeastern Louisiana Moon Garden.

We have expanded the enjoyment of our moon garden by screening in little back carport. We never used it as a carport because it was too narrow, but it makes a perfect screen porch so that we can enjoy the garden at night in a mosquito free environment. It's funny how many of the old fashioned concepts like screened porches are becoming popular once again.

Evening Primroses (Oenothera spp.) are native perennials with sweet smelling white, pink and bright yellow flowers that open each evening. Our favorites are the shorter pink, Mexican Evening Primrose and the very tall yellow, Common Evening Primrose.

Moonflower (Ipomoea alba) is a night-blooming member of the morning glory family that perfumes the garden with five- to six-inch white flowers. Moonflowers are annuals and are easy to start from seed.

Moonflowers by naturegirl7

Angel's Trumpet (Brugmansia suaveolens) is a tropical woody plant that produces fragrant, 8-10 inch white, pink or yellow flowers that appear from late spring until frost. This plant is poisonous and hallucinogenic so care should be taken with small children and adventuresome teens.

Phlox (phlox divaricata) is a native that has clusters of lovely fragrant flowers in white and shades of pink and blue.

Blue Phlox, P. divaricata by naturegirl7

Orange, Satsuma and Kumquat Blossoms (Citrus spp.) - Citrus trees have extremely fragrant blossoms day and night and they attract many insects. Another plus is that you will have wonderful fruit to eat and you may also attract some Giant Swallowtail Butterflies to your garden.

Common Stock (Matthiola incana) has small white, pink or purple clusters of attractive, sweet flowers flowers that give out a lovely night time fragrance. The photo below shows purple ones, along with pansies and snapdragons.

Pansy and Friends postcard by minx267

Four O'Clock (Mirabilis jalapa) is an old-fashioned, sweetly fragrant perennial (here in the south) with colorful trumpet-shaped flowers that open in late afternoon. In the old days they were a favorite plant to put around the privy.

White Swamp Spider Lily (Hymenocallis occidentalis) is a perennial bulb that grows in wet areas throughout the south. Its intoxicating fragrance is most evident at night, making it a wonderful selection for a moon garden.

White Swamp Spider Lily by naturegirl7

Formosa Lilies (Lilium formosanum) are tall (up to 6 feet) perennial bulbs that look something like Easter Lilies. They bloom in late summer and are visited by hummingbirds, moths and other pollinators. Their fragrance is sweet, but not overpowering.

Night Blooming Cereus (Selenicereus ) is a succulent with large, fragrant, night-blooming white flowers. It is not hardy below 55°F, so we grow it in a container and bring it indoors or in the greenhouse for the winter.

Daylilies (Hemerocallis spp.), like the orange ones shown below, usually bloom during the day, but some that bloom at night include 'Moon Frolic' and 'Toltec Sundial'. There are many fragrant nearly white or pale yellow varieties that will add scent and color to the moon garden.

Orange Daylilies by naturegirl7

Yucca (Yucca filamentosa) is a native plant that bears clusters of waxy white flowers which are open both day and night. Y. filamentosa has softer, more bendable leaves that are less likely to stick someone.

Yucca Blooms by naturegirl7

Flowering Tobacco (Nicotiana spp.) is an annual with clusters of trumpet-like blooms prized for their inviting fragrance. They come in many colors, but the lighter colors are better for a moon garden. Watch out for the Carolina Sphinx Moth (Tobacco Hornworm) larvae.

by aussiegall & used under Creative Commons License

White Butterfly Ginger (Hedychium coronarium) or Peach Ginger (Hedychium hybrid) are both delightfully fragrant. Butterfly Ginger has white flowers and Peach Ginger is light pinkish-orange. As the photo shows, moths will visit these flowers.

Plantain Lily (Hosta spp.) is a perennial with beautiful foliage and trumpet-shaped clusters of flowers that have a sweet scent.

Purity by Glaucidium

Pinks (Dianthus plumarius) are perennials with pale pink flowers smelling of cloves. Other members of the Dianthus family would also go well in a Moon Garden.

Mock Orange (Philadelphus coronarius) is a fast growing shrub that can reach 10 feet tall and several feet wide. In spring, it is covered with fragrant, single, white, flowers that smell like orange blossoms.