Outdoor: Nocturnal Flowers
There is something magical about seeing a patch of flowers illuminated by the moon on a sweet summer night. Not only are these nocturnal blooms beautiful, they are important in attracting the underappreciated of the pollinator world: bats and moths.
Ipomoea alba
Moonflowers spin open when the sun sets. In warm southern climates, they are perennials that grow as a vine. For cooler climates, Moonflowers are annual plants that bloom in late summer.
Brugmansia
Angel’s Trumpet flowers are open both day and night but at night, these blooms diffuse a jasmine-like fragrance to attract pollinators. In warm climates, they can grow into impressive trees. They cannot survive cold and snow but are available as annual plants for northern gardens.
Leucanthemum x superbum
The Shasta Daisy with their bright white petals are an easy to grow flower for any garden. At night, they remain open and visible to the nighttime pollinator team. And let’s face it, they are just happy flowers anytime. Daises are perennials and easy to grow in every growing zone in full to partial sun.
Moths are relentless pollinators and are the favorite food of birds like bluebirds and swallows. T
hey are masterful mimics with complex markings worthy of a second look.
Cypripedium
Lady Slippers are a northern woodland orchid that grow in damp areas with partial sun from May through July. I had the pleasure of seeing a grouping of these small, white orchids on a hike in the Adirondacks in upstate New York. They are considered endangered which unfortunately just means, never pick; just take a picture.
Dicentra cucllaria
Dutchman’s Breeches are another northern woodland flower that bloom for about two weeks in April. They are perennials and will spread if grown in a shady spot. They are less common than their Bleeding Heart cousins but just as charming.
Bats eat mosquitoes and flies. Bats are essential pollinators for tropical fruit.
Bats pollinate Agave flowers and Agave plants give us tequila.
We need bats and they need us because several bat species are at risk of extinction.
