Moonflower, too!

  Every fall I collect seeds from our Moonflower and every spring I plant them anew.

 By common definition they're weeds - Jimsonweed - and perhaps don't belong in a flower bed. They're also not good around pets (they're a narcotic). But I'm always taken by those nighttime flowers and this is a weed that draws me back every year.

 A few days ago I noticed a spent flower. I had missed it. But I knew there was plenty more coming. And so, early yesterday, I saw a new bud beginning to unwind. And that's exactly that they do ... twist and spiral themselves open like an umbrella.

 The pinwheel buds are a pretty yellowish tint, a deep ivory. You expect a yellow flower. The leaves are a blue-green and I think the combination is quite beautiful. During blooming season, these plants bloom constantly, one flower right  after the other. If you miss one flower, just wait a day.

 So last evening we walked into the back yard about 10 PM and the flower was almost fully open. And, yes, a first quarter moon hung in a clear summer sky just above the plant.

 Naturally I wanted to see the bud again this morning (about 8:30 AM) and it's just past fully open. It'll  stay open until the sun hits it this afternoon. This plant is growing on the west side of the garage and is hidden from the morning sun. When the sun touches it it will collapse and quickly appear wilted.

 Like our Night Blooming Cereus, these are queens of the night.