Moonflowers

Mary Ann

When I bought my house in South Carolina from my fairy godmother, Mimi (I wrote a blog about her), left me some treasures in the empty house when I took ownership.  On the kitchen counter was a bottle of my favorite wine that we used to share together and a picture book, The Moonflower by Peter and Jean Loewer.  Mimi’s inscription on the inside of the book wished me happiness in my new house and that she planted some moonflowers for me to enjoy as the summer progressed. 

Moonflowers are climbing vines in the morning glory family.  They have white trumpet-shaped flowers and heart-shaped leaves.  They bloom at night and are pollinated by moths rather than butterflies.  This nocturnal flower only blooms for one night and in the morning wilts.  They are often part of a moon garden. 

That first summer I would watch the tight white buds bloom and if you listen carefully, you can hear a pop as it unfurls.  The moonflower has a lovely scent that is pleasant to enjoy on a summer’s evening.  For the remainder of my time in South Carolina, I planted moonflowers each year.  I didn’t have a yard when I moved to Jersey City, so no moonflowers until I retired and began the tradition again for my patio garden that I call Little Provence.  I just love watching all stages of moonflowers.

I grow the moonflowers from seed that I get from Renee’s Garden, a gardening company that has high-quality organic seeds and plants.  In prepping moonflower seeds to plant, you need to take a toenail clipper and snip a corner of the seed which are hard as bullets.  Then I soak paper towels in water and place about 10 or 12 seeds on the towels and cover with another towel that I keep moist.   Within a few days the seeds swell and out comes seed leaves. I then plant the seeds in little paper pots to await additional leaves.  Along the way some seeds to not sprout or some do not get leaves.  I am hopeful by the end that I have 6-8 plants for the two big pot that will be their homes.  I have trellises in the pots.  I usually do all of this at the end of April and have the plants in the big pots after Mother’s Day when there is no frost.  I keep them well watered in an area with good sunlight.  

The warmer weather encourages more leaves and tendrils that begin shooting up the trellises. Soon the trellises are covered in vines and little buds begin to emerge.  The buds grow bigger until they are ready to pop into the moonflower blossoms.  They usually keep blooming until the fall frost. I deadhead the withered moonflowers each morning which I think spurs future growth.  

Most of the flowers I plant are from a nursery, so I am transplanting more mature plants.  However, there is something magical about growing plants from seeds.  I love to feel dirt between my fingers.  My moonflowers are my little ritual each year.  It is a flower that makes me happy, and I always think of Mimi and the gift she gave me by introducing me to this amazing flower.  

I hope that my experience with moonflowers will spur you on to try to grow some yourself. You will be so surprised to hear that little pop and how the moonflowers will make summer evenings more special.  Good Gardening, My Friend!