A whiff of beauty in the dark

Night-blooming flowers are revered and admired for their beauty and fragrance. They are also easy to grow.

One of my fondest childhood memories is going on evening walks with my parents. After dinner, my brother and I would join our parents for a stroll around the neighbourhood. Since both of our parents worked, these walks were an important time for our family to catch up and bond. We would discuss our school and friends, and my parents would tell us stories about their days. Appa would often pause to show us a star or a constellation in the sky. My mother possessed (she still does) a sharp sense of smell. She could identify any night-blooming flower like Frangipani, Parijatha, or Night Queen from afar and would excitedly announce it to us. Although I didn’t encounter the Night Queen (Cestrum nocturnum) plant until many years later, its fragrance was etched in my memory. Two years ago I planted it in my garden. It bloomed last week, reminding me of those cherished childhood memories.

Parijatha (also known as Nyctanthes arbor-tristis) is a very common night-blooming flower. It is revered and admired for its beauty. Cuttings are the common method of propagation for Parijatha. The cuttings should be about 6 inches long and have several leaves. The lower leaves are removed, and the cut end is dipped in a rooting hormone powder to encourage root development. It is then planted in a pot and kept in a warm place and transferred to the soil when it is a foot or two in height.

Cestrum nocturnum, also known as the Queen of the Night or night-blooming Jasmine, is a fast-growing evergreen shrub that can reach up to 10 feet in height. The plant has long slender green leaves and produces small white or greenish-white flowers that bloom at night and have a sweet, intense fragrance. The flowers attract moths and other nocturnal pollinators. It is important to note that all parts of the Cestrum nocturnum plant are toxic if ingested, so it should be grown out of reach of children and pets. Additionally, the plant can become invasive in some areas, so it should be monitored closely to prevent it from spreading too far.

Epiphyllum oxypetalum, also known as the Queen of the Night Cactus, is popular because of its striking, fragrant white flowers that bloom only once a year, usually at night. The flowers can reach up to 30 cm in length and have a sweet, pleasant fragrance that intensifies at night. It is often confused with the Brahmakamala flower, which grows at high altitudes in the Himalayas in Uttarakhand, India. The two flowers are not related and come from different plant families.

Propagation of Epiphyllum oxypetalum can be done through stem cuttings. Choose a healthy stem with several leaf segments and make a clean cut near the base of the stem. Allow the cutting to dry for a few days until a callus forms over the cut. This helps prevent rotting when the cutting is planted. Once the cutting has dried, plant it in a well-draining potting mix. Keep the soil moist and place the pot in a warm, bright location with filtered sunlight. In a few weeks, the cutting should start to develop roots and new growth.

Mirabilis jalapa, also known as the four o’clock flower, the marvel of Peru, andhimandarai or sanjemallige, is a fragrant flower that blooms in a range of colours, including white, pink, and yellow. It can be grown from seeds that can be collected once the flower head has dried. The plant thrives in warm and sunny conditions and can grow up to 2-3 feet in height. It is a low-maintenance plant that requires minimal care.

Night-blooming flowers often have a strong fragrance and light-coloured petals that are visible in the dark to attract pollinators such as moths, bats, and certain types of insects that are more active during the night. They are often referred to as jasmine, even though they are not actually part of the jasmine family (Oleaceae), probably because of their strong fragrance, and jasmines being associated with love and romance in many cultures. While these flowers may be less common than their daytime counterparts, their beauty, uniqueness, and history make them a wonderful choice for any landscape. Until next time then, happy gardening.

Motley Garden is your monthly kaleidoscopic view into a sustainable garden ecosystem.

The author believes that gardening is not just about plants and how to nurture them. It is also about bees, butterflies, insects, flies, and bugs that make it their home. She is on social media as @neelavanam