Dear Curiosity Journal,
Rufus has a romantic habit of bringing bouquets into the house for their last hurrah. When it’s time for a garden bed to transition, he collects the fading flowers and places them in a vase in the kitchen. This week, I’m enjoying the intoxicating aroma of Night Scented Tobacco, which intensifies when the sun goes down. I was curious about the marked difference in smell between night and day, so I meandered down a little research path. I learned that Night Scented Tobacco evolved to attract nocturnal pollinators so the blossoms unfurl their loveliness at dusk. These garden gems were a favorite along Victorian pathways for their luxurious, jasmine-like scent and resinous stems and leaves which catch mosquitoes. I discovered that most night blooming flowers are white or light in color, increasing their visibility for the moths, bats, beetles, and some species of bees which feed at night, reminding me of the white Moon Flowers we planted. These night blooming varieties are a wonderful reminder not to forget about the midnight beauties as we plan our pollinator gardens.
~Joy