7 Indoor Moon Garden Plants That Bloom at Night

A moon garden has its glow-up in the darker part of the day, but the light of that famous celestial body. If you're a houseplant lover and a night owl, an indoor moon garden is the perfect project! Here are some of our favorite night-bloomers that you can grow in your in-home moon garden.

A white Selenicereus grandiflorus flower with long, slender petals and delicate yellow stamens, surrounded by dark green foliage.

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With their glowing, ethereal qualities, moon gardens are magical. If you’re not familiar with the concept, moon gardening is a wonderful way of creating an enchanted space in your garden. They are meant to be most beautiful after dark, under the light of everyone’s favorite satellite. Creating a moon garden indoors can be slightly challenging, but with a large window at your disposal, it’s possible to make it happen.

There are many ways to add to this type of space. Silver foliage can reflect light and shimmer in the moonlight. White blossoms are especially stunning as they glow against dark foliage. My favorite aspect of the moon garden is the flowers that open and release their fragrance after dark. 

Flowers that bloom and are fragrant at night are exceptional additions to any space you will enjoy in the evening and beyond. Those with white blossoms pack a double punch in an indoor moon garden. These not only glow in the moonlight; they release their sweet perfume simultaneously, creating a delightful sensory experience. Here are some of our favorite flowers for your indoor moon garden.

Night Blooming Cereus

A pale orange and white Hylocereus undatus flower with elongated petals radiating outward, set against leafy greenery.
The night blooming cereus has elongated petals radiating outward, with stems that resemble a Christmas cactus.
common-name common name Night Blooming Cereus
botanical-name botanical name Selenicereus grandiflorus and Hylocereus undatus
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
height height 3’-20’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 10-12

When it comes to looks, night-blooming cereus is not at the top of many lists. In fact, for most of the year it looks like your run-of-the-mill succulent that can’t stand up straight. I think it resembles a Christmas cactus, but I’ve heard more than one person disparage its appearance. 

There are two separate plants that carry this moniker. They are similar in form and require similar care. One is a species of dragon fruit. Both of these succulents bloom in the evening, and typically only once a year until they are mature. At that time, they will begin to produce more blooms that can open on different days. They also emit a pleasing fragrance when they open. 

YouTube video

Night Fragrant Orchid

A closeup of the night fragrant orchid, sporting long, thin petals with a pretty white labellum, with large, thick leaves in the back.
The blooms are small and green with a creamy white labellum. 
common-name common name Night Fragrant Orchid
botanical-name botanical name Epidendrum nocturnum
sun-requirements sun requirements Bright indirect light
height height 3’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 10-11

Night-blooming orchid is native to Florida, the West Indies, and parts of Central and South America. In its range, it is not scarce, but in Florida, it is on the endangered plant list. It is illegal to collect them from the wild here, but you can purchase them from a breeder. 

This orchid can flower any time, but usually does so between late fall and early spring. The blooms open in the evening and release their pleasant fragrance. This is an attractive epiphyte in the genus Epidendrum. Epidendrums are typically easy to care for. They like plenty of light but not direct exposure. The flowers are small and green with a creamy white labellum. 

Night Blooming Jasmine

A cluster of tiny, tubular white Cestrum nocturnum flowers hanging from green stems with oval-shaped leaves in the background.
Night blooming jasmine displays pretty white blossoms that have a wonderful scent.
common-name common name Night Blooming Jasmine
botanical-name botanical name Cestrum nocturnum
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
height height 8’-10’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 9-11

This jasmine is not a true jasmine, but it has similar habits and pretty white blossoms that have a wonderful scent. This evergreen will climb if you provide it with a trellis and give it some guidance. Outdoors, it makes a nice screen. You can use it for the purpose if you want to obscure a window from passersby.

This is a fast grower as long as it gets adequate light. It’s a huge bloomer during the summer when clusters of tiny blossoms open by the light of the moon. They release an incredible perfume when they open, and they close again in the morning. The resulting berries are poisonous to animals and humans, so remove them to be careful. 

Night Phlox

Small white and pink Zaluzianskya ovata flowers with deep red centers, growing on thin green stems and accompanied by narrow leaves.
In the dark hours, a mass of small, white blooms open up and release an intoxicating fragrance.
common-name common name Night Phlox
botanical-name botanical name Zaluzianskya ovata
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
height height 8”-20”
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 8-11

This pretty evergreen perennial hails from South Africa and has a unique blooming habit. If you can offer it enough exposure, it makes a nice container plant for a bright window. You’ll want it near a window in the evening, which is this plant’s time to shine. 

A small shrub, it grows to about 20 inches tall. During the dark hours, a mass of small, white flowers open up and release an intoxicating fragrance. The foliage is slightly sticky, another interesting characteristic. This is not related to true phloxes.

Queen of the Night

White Epiphyllum oxypetalum flowers with wide, layered petals and prominent stamens, set among slender green stems.
She might remind you a bit of cereus and a Christmas cactus at the same time.
common-name common name Queen of the Night
botanical-name botanical name Epiphyllum oxypetalum
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
height height 8’-10’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 10-11

Also known as the orchid cactus, Epiphyllum oxypetalum is one beautiful queen for an indoor moon garden. She might remind you a bit of cereus, our first on the list. Even more than that one, I think this one resembles a Christmas cactus. The leaves are flat and succulent, like long paddles. 

I have one of these lovely succulents in my bathroom, so they do fine indoors. It likes higher than average humidity. It’s easy to propagate, and takes well to pruning, so it’s a nice one to share. My own came from a lovely neighbor. Like cereus, the queen opens large, impressive flowers for only one evening. They are beautifully fragrant.

YouTube video

Gardenia

Multiple white Gardenia jasminoides flowers with layered, waxy petals and dark green glossy leaves forming a dense background.
The creamy, floral perfume of gardenias is a favorite among perfumers. 
common-name common name Gardenia
botanical-name botanical name Gardenia jasminoides
sun-requirements sun requirements Bright indirect light
height height 3’-4’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 8-12

It may surprise you to see gardenia show up on this list, but it certainly belongs here. This classic shrub does indeed bloom in the evening, which is also when the flowers release their intoxicating and notorious fragrance. It’s one of the most recognizable scents I can think of. The creamy, floral perfume of gardenias is a favorite among perfumers. 

Gardenias are small to medium-sized shrubs with glossy foliage. With enough light, they do well indoors. They prefer a warm, humid space, but they are also tolerant of sub-freezing temperatures. They are quite sturdy. A nice aspect of gardenias is that their flowers don’t close back up in the morning. They remain open for several days and release the most fragrance around dusk.

Easter Lily Cactus

Pale pink Echinopsis oxygona flowers with soft, radial petals and yellow centers, growing on a spiny, globular stem.
The easter lily cactus is a phenomenal bloomer with large, flamboyant, pink flowers.
common-name common name Easter Lily Cactus
botanical-name botanical name Echinopsis oxygona
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun
height height 2”-3”
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 8-11

Easter lily cactus is native to South America, where it grows primarily in rocky areas and forests. If you’re familiar with the Echinopsis genus, this species has a similar form to its relatives. Short and rounded, Easter lily cactus has deep ribbing and short, black spines.  Over time, it produces offsets and can be mat-forming if given the space. 

This is a phenomenal bloomer with large, flamboyant flowers. It can bloom throughout the summer. One-foot-tall stems rise up from the body of the cactus and open wide at the ends. The flowers, which bloom in the dark, look similar to cereus. It can produce as many as one dozen white or pink flowers at a time.

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