Plants whose bright leaves help them show up at night fall basically into three categories and are among the best plants for moonlight gardens: namely, specimens with variegated, gold-colored or silver-colored leaves. The following list provides examples of each:
Plants With Bright Foliage for Moonlight Gardens
- Variegated dogwood bushes
- Variegated euonymus, including 'Moonshadow'
- Gold Mops
- Lamb's Ear (silver)
- Artemisia (silver)
- Hosta (variegated, gold)
In the next two sections, I list plants that boast some of the most fragrant blossoms known. I begin with the night bloomers (which must make use of scent, predominantly, to lure in nighttime pollinators).
Night Bloomers for Moonlight Gardens
- Fragrant evening primrose (Oenothera caespitosa)
- Angel's trumpet (Brugmansia spp.; opens more fully at night, when it releases its amazing scent)
- Moonflower (Ipomoea alba)
Plants With Fragrant Blossoms for Moonlight Gardens
Not impressed with all this talk of "moonlight gardens?" If white isn't a vibrant enough color for you, then perhaps dedicating an area of your landscape primarily to white flowers (see Page 1) is a non-starter. If so, you'll be much more interested in the colorful ideas I discuss in my photo gallery of landscape color schemes.
