When planning their gardens, many gardeners look for perennial flowers that bloom for a long time. But there is something nice about a flower that only lasts one day. Some types of flowers only bloom for one day, but the beauty of the flower and the sheer number of flowers on the plant more than make up for it. They give you color all season long.
Certain flowers have the remarkable ability to bloom for a full day, opening their petals in the morning sunlight and closing them again at night. These ephemeral blooms put on a gorgeous floral display for 24 hours before withering away. Which flowers have such brief but dazzling blooming periods?
The Queen of 24-Hour Blooms: Hemerocallis or Daylily
The most famous flower known for its nearly day-long bloom time is the daylily. Daylilies belong to the genus Hemerocallis, named from the Greek words for “beauty” and “day”
Daylily flowers each last a single day. They typically open before sunrise and begin wilting by sunset. This fleeting bloom time inspired their common name. Daylilies come in many colors including yellow, pink, red, purple, cream and orange.
Some daylily species rebloom later in the season extending their floral display. But each bloom still only lasts 24 hours. Daylilies thrive in full sun and are hardy perennials popular in gardens worldwide.
Evening Primroses
Another evening bloomer is the aptly named evening primrose. Species of Oenothera, native to North and South America, open their fragrant, four-petaled yellow, pink or white flowers at dusk. The blooms last through the night, attracting pollinators like moths.
By midday the flowers begin fading. The evening primrose received its common name from its similarity to the unrelated true primroses that open in the morning. It’s also called suncup and sundrop. The seeds and oil have uses as an herbal supplement.
Moonflower
The moonflower is a tropical and subtropical vine that blooms at night. The scientific name, Ipomoea alba, comes from Greek meaning “worm” and Latin for “white”, referring to its twining habit and pale blooms.
Moonflower blooms unfurl in the evening, lasting until the next morning. The funnel-shaped white flowers reach 6-8 inches across and release a lemony fragrance. The watermelon-flavored foliage is also edible. Give moonflowers full sun and rich, moist soil.
Four O’Clocks
Named for the time of day they open, four o’clocks belong to the genus Mirabilis, meaning “wonderful” in Latin. Native to Peru, these short bushy plants first open in late afternoon and stay open until morning.
Four o’clocks occur in a range of bright colors from pink and red to purple, yellow and white. They have a mild, sweet flavor similar to green peppers. Extracts from the plant have antiviral properties.
Morning Glories
In contrast to moonflowers, morning glories open with the morning sun and fade by midday. These annual vining plants come in vibrant colors of blue, purple, pink, white and red.
The trumpet-shaped blooms and heart-shaped leaves quickly climb trellises and arbors, providing a quick-growing vertical floral display. Morning glories self-seed readily. Soak the edible seeds to remove toxins before consuming.
Water Lilies
Water lilies hold their flowers above the water and open with the rising sun. They float on still ponds, lakes and other calm waters. The wax-petaled blooms come in shades of white, pink, yellow, orange and purple with centers that close by midday.
Water lily flowers that rise above the water surface typically last only a day. Some species’ flowers remain submerged and last longer. These aquatic perennials provide beauty while also filtering and oxygenating the water.
Ephemeral Yet Memorable
While their individual flowers are fleeting, all of these plants continue blooming over weeks or months, offering ongoing color. The 24-hour blossoms lend uniqueness with their brief, synchronized opening and closing rhythms.
These flowers provide ample opportunities for enjoying their transient beauty as they open and close during the days and nights in our gardens and landscapes. Though short-lived, their vibrant colors and fragrances create lasting memories.
Mexican Shell Flowers
The Mexican shell flower, Tigridia pavonia, grows only 24 inches tall and has green leaves that look like gladiolus leaves. The flowers have three petals and come in bright shades of red, white, pink, yellow, and scarlet. The base of each petal has a pattern of spots. If you watched a time-lapse of this plant’s flowers, you would see that each one opens during the day and then closes in the early evening, never to open again. Because each bulb gives you more than one flower, you can enjoy the summer colors for more than one day. It grows best in full sun and rich, well-drained soil that stays moist all the time. The Mexican shell flower, which is also called the tiger flower,
Daylily Perennial Flowers
As the name implies, daylily (Hemerocallis spp. , USDA zones 3-9) flowers bloom for a single day before fading. These perennials arent true lilies but part of the family Hemerocallidaceae. Each big flower only lasts until the sun goes down, but the plant makes a lot of buds that last for months. So youll have plenty of daylily blooms to enjoy throughout the season. There are daylily flowers in every color of the rainbow, both solid and bi-color. This makes it easy to find one that looks good in your garden. This plant does well in soil that drains well and can handle a lot of different conditions, but it likes sandy, wet soil in full sun. More Like This.
How to Make Fresh Flowers Last Longer
FAQ
What are bright flowers lasting 24 hours called?
What flowers only last 24 hours?
What flower lasts one day?
What are the longest lasting flowers at the grocery store?
What is the longest lasting perennial flower?
Here are your potential options for the longest lasting perennial flowers: 1. Black Eyed Susan Black eyed Susan is hard to miss due to its bright yellow petals and dark centers. This flower thrives in areas with ample sunlight. You should also plant these flowers in high quality, well-draining soil.
Are there perennials that will bloom for a long time?
There are many annuals as well as perennials that will bloom for extended periods of time or that will produce a second bloom altogether. In this article, gardening expert Jill Drago will share some of her favorite plants that will keep your gardens full of color all summer.
Do some plants bloom only for one day?
Some very popular plants have flowers that bloom only for one day. Despite this, they are popular due to their ability to produce weeks of garden color with the abundance of flowers they produce.
How long does a blue vervain flower last?
Aside from providing damp conditions, be sure to plant blue vervain in full to partial sunlight. As long as this flower is growing in the right location, it should remain hardy in planting zones three through nine and bloom for six weeks. 6. Lupine Lupines are beautiful flowers which produce colorful, vertical blooms.
How long do trailing Verbena flowers last?
Each cluster of flowers is made up of dozens of smaller flowers that will last for weeks. Trailing verbena is available in many different colors, as well as bicolor.