By Carla McMahon
When you think of gardening in Florida you think of the plants that grow and thrive in the sunshine. However, you might be surprised that there are some pretty cool plants that show off after the sun goes down. You might not see them before you smell them though! Yes, they are some of the most aromatic flowers and maybe that's because the insects that pollinate them need a scent trail to find them.
Let’s talk native night bloomers. We will start with my favorite; the Moonflower (Ipomoea alba). It grows on fences and over trees as a pretty aggressive vine but we will go easy on it as it is a show-stopper with a divine scent that is a cross between jasmine and vanilla! Personal memory...I was standing at a park waiting for the sunset and all of a sudden I noticed that the flowers of this vine were opening up right before my eyes! The big white blooms sensed the setting sun and began to open. Not slowly either, they started unfurling their petals at a very rapid rate. Wow! I couldn’t get my video started fast enough. Everyone I showed the video to asked if it was in slow motion, it opened that quickly. I have seen this vine recently on the Sebastian River but navigating it at sunset could be a little scary if you don’t like alligators.
If you didn’t know, water lilies can have an incredibly sweet-smelling flower and this next native plant is no exception. The Sleeping Beauty Water-lily (Nymphaea jamesoniana) makes its home on the western coast of Florida in roadside ditches, lakes and marshes. It blooms late at night and closes by morning.
This last native beauty is the Night-blooming epidendrum or Night-scented orchid (Epidendrum nocturnum). This beauty grows in Florida hammocks or swamps and attaches itself to the trunks and branches of trees and shrubs. It has a very showy white flower that is fragrant especially at night. It can definitely pay to look up when walking through a native area.
There are also a number of non-native landscape plants that you can use to create a moon garden that can be enjoyed at night. Most of these will have white or light-colored flowers and amazing scents, making them easier to see or smell.
Plants you will want to be on the lookout for are Night Blooming Jasmine, Night Blooming Cereus, Gardenia, Four O’Clocks, Evening Primrose and the Angel’s Trumpet. You don’t have to be nocturnal to enjoy all of these, but an evening stroll after dinner will be that much more pleasant if you incorporate a few of these lovely plants in your garden.
Remember to use the Right Plant, Right Place concept and grow natives when you have the opportunity. Go Grow!
Carla is a local with a passion for gardening. She volunteers at McKee Botanical Gardens, is a member of the Florida Native Plant Society, holds an AS in Horticulture from IRSC, and has a Master Gardener Certification with the Indian River County Extension Office. When she doesn’t have her hands in the sandy soil she can be found paddleboarding in local waters.
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