Top 10 Beautiful Night Blooming Flowers That Will Mesmerize You

Flowers are the most beautiful elements of nature, that radiate beauty and happiness at the same time. Flowers are an integral part of celebrations and joyous occasions that can bring a smile to the saddest of faces.

However, it would be wrong to say that only daytime flowers are gorgeous-looking when there are several beauties that can enchant us in the darkness as well. Here we have tried to present Top 10 Beautiful Night Blooming Flowers That Will Mesmerize You.

10. Dutchman’s Pipe Cactus

Also called the Queen of the Night or Night Blooming Cereus, this evergreen plant is a native of South America and Mexico. The white flowers bloom only at night and they wilt before dawn. Flowers are short-lived and last for 2 days. The flowers bloom in spring and summer. These are generally grown as house plants, either indoors or in a greenhouse.

It is comparatively easier to grow than other house plants and can even be neglected, to some extent! The Native Americans used it, especially the flower, for several heart-related ailments and even today it is used in treating cardiac problems.

9. Moon Flower

The beautiful white flowers grow best in tropical and subtropical climates and are also called Evening Star for the night-blooming feature and star shape. The pristine beauty brings an ecstatic charm to the garden under moonlight. Similar to the Evening Primrose, it blooms in the late afternoon and closes at sunrise.

It dies the next morning when the sun rays strike and are replaced by another at its place in the same afternoon. The plant is cultivated annually in cold countries for ornamental purposes and decorating trellises, fences, hanging baskets and walls.

8. Nottingham Catchfly

Also called Eurasian Catchfly, this pinkish white wildflower was first observed on the walls of Nottingham Castle in England which gave its name. The petals of the flower are white or pinkish and divided into two lobes and it remains open for 3 nights.

The leaves are covered in soft hairs. The flowers are about 12 mm long and 18 mm wide and drooping on short viscid stalks. The heavy fragrance released at nighttime attracts bats and moths to it.

7. Four o’Clock

The peculiar name attributed to this charming flower is due to its opening in late afternoon and closing at morning. The trumpet-shaped flowers come in shades of pink, red, yellow, white and sometimes bi-coloured. An interesting fact is that flowers of different colours found simultaneously on the same plant. The plant grows up to 4 ft and blooms from summer to fall season. It is used in herbal medicine as a diuretic, purgative and aphrodisiac.

The flowers are used for making an edible food dye whereas the leaves can treat inflammation, abscesses, and wounds. It is said the Aztecs used it for medicinal and ornamental reasons.

6. Evening Primrose

This is an ornamental plant used for decorative and medical purposes all over the world. The bowl-shaped flowers are usually yellow, pale yellow or golden but white, pink, red and purple varieties are also found. The flowers open late in the afternoon and close at sunrise; hence the name ‘evening primrose’.

The flowers bloom in summer and spring; the lemony fragrance attracts moths for pollination. The roots and leaves are eaten as vegetables while seed oil extracted are used for medicinal purposes. The herb has long been a popular European treatment for eczema, bruises, and arthritis.

5. Casablanca Lily

The graceful flower shares its name with the equally elegant Moroccan city in Africa. Developed as a hybrid of Oriental lilies, the large, scented flower is noteworthy even among lilies that are known for their richness, perfume, and texture.

The flower blooms from spring to late summer and resembles a trumpet with six white petals, each lined with tiny dots at the centerline. Casablanca lily is said to symbolize celebration, especially marriage, and is perhaps unique in that it has a single meaning, unlike other flowers.

4. Night Gladiolus

It has a rich creamy yellow colour with a spicy aroma and found in varying habitats ranging from sea level to high altitudes of Asia, Mediterranean Europe, South Africa and tropical Africa. It blooms in late spring to early summer and found in areas with heavy rainfall.

It is sometimes also called Sword Lily’ due to the fact that the leaves look like swords encased in a sheath. These flowers have been extensively hybridized and hence a wide variety is available. These are mainly used for ornamental and decorative purposes.

3. Night Bloom Water Lily

The crimson red or purple water lily is one of the most magnificently coloured flowers in the world. The large reddish-pink flower is present with bronze coloured leaves. It blooms in early summer and opens at dusk like many other night flowers.

It has a very sweet smell and is exclusively a tropical plant that cannot survive winter conditions. It makes a great addition to a water garden and needs at least 8 inches of water level height.

2. Brahma Kamal

Literally meaning ‘The Lotus of Lord Brahma’, this flower is among the most revered flowers in India and it is said to have been created by Lord Vishnu Himself. There have been conflicting claims that the Orchid Cactus is actually the Brahma Kamal but that has been not been entirely proved. It blooms once in every few years and the bloom lasts for a couple of hours only.

Brahma Kamal is found high in the Himalayan altitudes and used for offerings at the famous Nanda Devi Temple. Besides being of spiritual significance, this majestic flower is used for traditional herbal medicine making.

1. Night Blooming Jessamine

It is greenish-white coloured flowers on an evergreen woody shrub. The flowers open at night and release a very beautiful odour. The flowering plant is reputed owing to its smell which is sometimes used in perfumeries. The plant is not very much of a display but can still be used to adorn indoors in warm climates.

However, sensitive individuals have reported suffering from asthma, breathing problems, irritation of nose and throat, nausea etc when exposed to the smell while ingestion of plant parts can cause rapid pulse and gastritis. It is considered to be a fast-growing weed in some countries.

The world is full of beautiful flowers and we have barely mentioned a few of the well- known flowers that are found across the world. But all the flowers listed above have a special common character- they bloom at night only; but then again the list is tremendously incomplete, for it would be impossible to tabulate all night flowers, owing to their vast number and sheer diversity in Nature.