Secrets of night-blooming flowers

artiteacher The Moonflower

We only bloom for a single night! (Oh, we fade by dawn!)

artiteacher The morning glory's nocturnal twin

artiteacher While sharing a genus with morning glories, moonflowers have adapted to a completely opposite schedule.

artiteacher Ancient Mesoamericans used moonflower juice combined with latex from rubber trees to create durable rubber balls.

BETA

artiteacher Match nocturnal pollinators to glowing petals to discover why some flowers bloom at night.

Fun Fact

Ancient chemistry: Over 3,000 years ago, indigenous people in Mexico used moonflower vine juice to process rubber.

Glossary

moonflower (noun)
A tropical American climbing plant of the morning glory family, having fragrant white flowers that open at night. These flowers can dramatically unfurl in under three minutes at dusk to attract nocturnal hawk moths.

Gossip

Which garden style would you build?

Quiz

Approximately how long does it take a single moonflower bud to completely unfurl?

artiteacher How Mesoamericans made ancient rubber

Quiz

What shape do moonflower buds form before they twist open at dusk?

artiteacher The vine that races the clock

Quiz

What is the typical diameter of a fully opened moonflower blossom?

artiteacher Designing a sensory moon garden

Quiz

What chemical element in moonflower juice allowed ancient Mesoamericans to cross-link rubber molecules?

Quiz

What is the scientific name of the common moonflower vine?

Quiz

To which common daytime garden flower is the moonflower most closely related?

Quiz

Which ancient civilization used moonflower juice to help vulcanize rubber for ball games?

Quiz

What type of garden is specifically designed with pale plants and night-bloomers like the moonflower?