4 indoor flowers that bloom at night - 'they make nights in so relaxing'

Raluca Racasan

Sun, October 1, 2023 at 6:30 AM UTC

3 min read

Whether you are a plant lover or not, it’s hard to imagine how the concept of flowers that bloom at night could leave you unimpressed. I’ve recently discovered that there are such flowers that come alive when the sun sets. It all stemmed (pun not intended) from the concept of a moon garden, which is created with the aim of being enjoyed at night.

The beauty of it is that you really don’t need to have a big garden or outdoor space for it, even if it is most commonly seen outside. You can absolutely create an indoor garden that blooms by the moon, and they make nights in so relaxing. I spoke to an expert in the field who knows all the secrets of moon gardens (so well, in fact, that she even wrote a book about them) and shared with me her top pick of indoor plants that are easy to look after and you can enjoy in the evenings, in your home.

The 4 best indoor plants that bloom in the evenings

Landscape Designer Jarema Osofsky, known as Dirt Queen NYC, explained the concept of a moon garden: ‘A moon garden is a garden designed with evening enjoyment in mind, full of night-blooming and night-fragrant plants, white flowers and silver foliage that reflect the moonlight, and nocturnal pollinators drawn to their luminescence,’ and goes on to give me her favorite low maintenance plants that flower and you can grow at home, for an indoor moon garden of your own.

1. Queen of the Night Cactus (Epiphyllum Oxypetalum)

close-up of queen of the night cactus flower

‘It blooms for one magical night a year, and then the flowers wilt at dawn,’ says Jarema. Doesn't that sound magical? It blooms in spring and has a lovely fragrance, so you won't want to miss it. It's also called the 'Orchid Cactus' because of its delicate flowers.

Shop the Queen of the Night cactus plant at Walmart here.

2. Ric rac cactus (Selenicereus anthonyanus and Epiphyllum anguliger)

This also blooms for one night a year only and it can also be referred to as the Fishbone cactus. ‘I love the Ric Rac cactus as a night-blooming houseplant because not only are its flowers exquisite, but even when it isn’t in bloom, its foliage offers a dramatic silhouette that cascades beautifully in a hanging planter.’

Shop the Fishbone cactus plant at Walmart here.

3. Snake plant (Dracaena Trifasciata)

These plants are easy to grow, and apparently quite hard to kill. I did not know this, but Jarema tells me that when given enough light, they produce flowers that bloom in the afternoon and evenings.

Shop the Snake plant at Walmart here.

4. Krimson Queen (Hoya Carnosa)

‘Hoyas are very fragrant at night but their blooms are open during the day as well,’ explains Jarema. They are adaptable, easy-to-grow plants that can thrive even if you don’t have time to give them a lot of attention.

Shop the Krimson Queen plant at Walmart here.

Even for someone who has never been much of a green thumb, a moon garden sounds too magical to miss out on. And with it being totally feasible indoors, I really have no reason not to try it for myself.