11 Perennials That Attract Moths for Evening Gardens

There ’s something genuinely enchanting about an evening garden alive with the flutter of moth wings under a moony sky . While bees and butterfly get most of the daytime aura , moths encounter a vital role as nocturnal pollinator , visiting scents that only unfurl after sundown . If you ’ve ever feel the tug of disappointment at a silent , lifeless patio after nightfall , you ’re not alone — it ’s such a bummer when your garden goes quiet just as the globe of night - bill awakens !

Crafting a moth‐friendly oasis is all about choose the good perennial — plants that utter heady evening fragrances , sport picket or cannular blooms , and provide perch places or larval host foliage . As a gardener who ’s spent unnumbered fall 60 minutes coaxing Luna moth and sphinx moth into my beds , I ca n’t wait to partake eleven of my favorite night‐blooming , moth‐magnetizing perennials . lease ’s plunge in and turn your garden into a beam nocturnal haven !

Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)

Agastache genus Foeniculum , native to the northern knit stitch and prairie of North America and non - incursive , gas spire of lavender‐blue blossom that release a mellifluous , licorice‐tinged scent as dusk settee . Hummingbird moths and clearwing moths are frequent visitors , sipping nectar deep within each tube-shaped prime . I ’ve find out their vacillate flank beat so fast they blur , bringing my garden to life when the sun goes down !

Besides its fragrant allure , anise hyssop ’s foliage provide shelter for caterpillars of certain sphinx moth specie . By implant in clustering near a softly lit seating room area , you ’ll offer remain nook where grownup moths can intermit between feeding round — and home to emerging larvae when eggs are set .

Four O’Clocks (Mirabilis jalapa)

Mirabilis jalapa , native to Central America and non - invasive , gain its common name by unfurling its trumpet - determine blooms in late good afternoon , keep their color and perfume well into the night . Sphinx moths , including the gorgeous white - lined sphinx , are irresistibly drawn to the velvety petals and plentiful nectar . One of my favorite moments is suffer among these peak , heed to the gentle hum of moth offstage !

Once established , four o’clocks self - sow readily but persist well - comport in most gardens . Their full leave also serve as daytime roost for resting moth and ply a food author for some caterpillar specie — make them multi - purpose additions to your nocturnal palette .

Garden Phlox (Phlox paniculata)

Garden phlox , a native of easterly North America and non - invasive , lights up summer evenings with large , billowy clusters of pinkish , white , or lavender blossom . At fall , the air around phlox plants becomes thick with the fragrance that draw in silver - tell apart captain moths and hummingbird moths alike ! When I first smelled its zesty - sweet-scented essence waft across my patio , I love phlox would be a recurrent centerpiece of my evening display .

Phlox also offers broad platforms for moth to land on as they sip nectar , and its tall root word provide discreet cover for resting adult . To keep your phlox blossom through the season — and sustain uninterrupted moth dealings — deadhead spent blooms and maintain even moisture around the roots .

Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis)

Oenothera biennis , ordinarily called evening primula , is native to North America and non - invasive , with delicate scandalmongering bloom of youth that unfurl at gloam . These single , open - faced blossoms give hungry moths full access to pollen and nectar , constitute them one of the first stop consonant for hawk moths as daylight wanes . I love how each bloom go just one night , make a dynamical , ever - changing display for your nocturnal guest !

Beyond their evening solicitation , primrose pods feed cat of the Sphinx moth kinsperson , supporting the full lifecycle of these beautiful pollinator . Scatter seeds in a gay border or allow volunteers to cultivate between stone for a happy-go-lucky , moth - favorable plot of land .

Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)

Lonicera japonica , aboriginal to East Asia and invasive in many area , hand-build beautifully over arbors and fences , shedding a herculean , sweet aroma at gloam . Luna moths and various hawk moth ca n’t defy its cannular white-hot - and - yellow blossoms — though mind , this vine can overtake native plants if left unchecked !

If you choose this honeysuckle , incorporate it by train on a trellis and rationalise per year . Its semievergreen foliage also offer daytime - metre hiding spots for moths and secure egg - put sites for species like the hummingbird hawk moth .

Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii)

Buddleja davidii , native to China and invasive in some area , is famed for its summer - long flower clustering that continue release aroma into early evening . While well have it off for attracting butterfly , its ambrosia - fat blossom also tempt nocturnal moths like the elephant vend moth — sometimes nesting in the leaf axil !

To belittle invasiveness , deadhead spent flower bunch before seeds mature and consider institute uninspired cultivars . The dumb panicles provide both dining and daytime resting perches for moths , raise eventide garden activeness .

Night-Blooming Jasmine (Cestrum nocturnum)

Cestrum nocturnum , or dark - flower jasmine , herald from the West Indies and can naturalise in tender mood , though it ’s not typically invasive in temperate gardens . When its small tubular flowers candid at nighttime , they let out a heady , jasmine - unfermented aroma that acts like a radio beacon for sphinx moth . I still recall the first evening I smell it waft down my walk — pure magic !

Its evergreen leaves also provide protection for adult moth during the day , and the heavy peak cycle in midsummer ensures a steady supply of nectar for your late - night visitors . Plant in a protected , slightly shaded spot to mimic its understory origin .

Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis)

Penstemon digitalis , aboriginal to easterly North America and non - trespassing , offers tall spires of white to blanch pinkish tubelike flower in former spring and former summer . As dusk falls , these blossoms glow softly and beckon hummingbird and clearwing moths , which hover at the loose pharynx to imbibe scented ambrosia . view their foresighted trunk unfurl is one of the unproblematic delight of eve horticulture !

The sturdy stems also make fantabulous rod for resting moths between feeding bouts . Since penstemon is drought - tolerant once base , it ’s an fantabulous pick for abject - sustainment moth gardens — just be sure to plant in well - enfeeble dirt to prevent diadem putrefaction .

Common Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)

Valeriana officinalis , native to Europe and part of Asia and non - encroaching , produces dense clusters of sweetly scent white to pink flower in summer solstice . Moths of various family mint to its nectar at dusk , and the strong scent even carries across the garden to guide hungry nighttime - fliers . I delight in seeing handfuls of moths settling on valerian umbel — like attending a private garden soirée !

Beyond its pollinator draw , valerian leafage hosts caterpillars of some noctuid moths , supporting local biodiversity . Keep your plant happy with even tearing and a sunny to partially shaded locating , then watch as the valerian becomes a moth attraction .

Moonflower (Ipomoea alba)

Ipomoea alba , known as moonflower , is native to tropical regions of Central and South America and can acquit invasively in warm climates . Those enormous , fragrant white heyday unfurl only after dark , get hold of up to six inches across — perfect feeding platforms for Luna moths and sphinx moths !

To control its banquet , pull out stray runner readily and grow in container or along a consecrate treillage . The expectant leaves also serve as daytime resting sites for moth , and the vine ’s speedy growth means you ’ll have a lush , fragrant nighttime display in no time .

Dame’s Rocket (Hesperis matronalis)

Hesperis matronalis , aboriginal to Europe and invasive in parts of North America , bloom of youth in late spring with bunch of fragrant lavender , pinkish , or white four - petaled flowers . As gloam deepen , the redolence intensifies , attracting swift - flying moths like silver - foray mortarboard moths . I first fell in making love with this works when my backyard was abruptly alert with moth , all depict by its irresistible fragrance !

Because it can ego - seed prolifically , deadhead after flowering to keep undesirable bed cover . Its grandiloquent , erect habit also extend sturdy roost for pillow moths and a reliable bloom menstruation early in the time of year .