Night Phlox

Did you know

• Night phlox flowers remain tightly closed and unmarked during the day but open at dusk to reveal a stunning white interior and release an intense vanilla-honey fragrance.
• The daytime closure protects the nectar from non-pollinating visitors — only night-flying moths with long proboscises get the reward after dark.
• The exterior of the petals is dark maroon or purple, so the closed bud looks entirely different from the open nocturnal flower.
• Named after Adam Zaluziansky von Zaluzian, a 16th-century Czech botanist and physician whose 1592 herbal was one of the first to distinguish botany as separate from medicine.
• It is sometimes called 'midnight candy' by gardeners who appreciate its dramatic evening transformation and powerful scent in night gardens.

Color meanings

Uses

• night garden
• ornamental
• fragrance plant