Night-blooming cereus
Here's a flower that gives a new meaning to the phrase "late bloomer." Also known as "queen of the night" the night-blooming cereus delivers on its name.
Night-blooming/night-flowering Plants that bloom only in dark or shade.
Nitrate of soda A strong alkaline fertilizer with about 15% nitrogen.
Nitrification The process of oxidizing ammonium salts into nitrogen for plants.
Night-blooming flowers take advantage of pollinators active at night, like moths and bats. Since they don't see colors, these flowers are not as colorful. Instead, the flower's fragrance attracts these pollinators.
Night-blooming jessamine (Cestrum nocturnum). The greenish-white tubular flowers aren't much to look at, but they are heavenly to smell at night. The plant reblooms in cycles throughout the summer.
But the night-blooming species have an allure for collectors of the unusual. Native to tropical Central America, Epiphyllum oxypetalum can reach 20 feet in is native jungles, but remains considerably smaller when confined to a pot.
butterflies - Night-blooming flowers attract moths.
hummingbirds
Special uses:
cut flowers - Use taller varieties.
direct-seeding ...
Tropical water lilies come in day-blooming and night-blooming varieties. They have larger, more-fragrant blossoms than hardy lilies, come in more colors, and bloom more often -- usually every day for the entire blooming season.
Bats -- Large, light-colored, night-blooming flowers with strong fruity odor (e.g., many cactus flowers). Bats don't see well, but have a keen sense of smell.
Planting Brugmansia Seeds
All About Night-Blooming Cereus
Growing the Brugmansia Plant
Tips for Growing Angel's Trumpets
Getting Started Overwintering Geraniums ...
come in day-blooming varieties (diurnal) and night-blooming varieties (nocturnal); hardy waterlilies are day blooming
Caring for Waterlilies ...
The bright blooms of some plants and the heavenly scent of others attract nectar-feeding moths and bats. These are the pollinators that work only after dark. Other bats, also drawn to the night-blooming garden, are there to prey on insects.
The full regrowth will be the vibrant red associated with the Christmas holidays. Prune avocado, mango, plumeria, shower trees, bougainvillea, night-blooming jasmine, ...
GOOD NEIGHBORS: Petunias; other night-blooming annuals, such as flowering tobacco
WHERE IT GROWS BEST: Full sun to partial shade
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS: Japanese beetles
CRITTER RESISTANCE: Good
SOURCE: Seeds, tuberous roots ...
Want something to make your evenings spent on the patio more relaxing? Consider a moonlight garden by your patio, featuring white and pale yellow flowers that open at twilight like evening primrose and night-blooming daylily.
 See also: Bloom, Plant, Flower, Light, Water
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