Zaluzianskya capensis Seeds - Midnight candy - Night phlox

Zaluzianskia capensis, also called midnight candy or night plox, is a tender perennial that exudes a lovely scent of honey and is still a rare find in our gardens. It bears charming, small, white and maroon flowers with finely cut petals. This plant is quite a discovery, both for its delicious fragrance and its originality!

Native to South Africa and belonging to the family Scrophulariaceae, Zaluzianskia capensis is a tender, half-hardy perennial and is often grown as an annual. It has a rounded growth habit and reaches a height of 25 cm and a width of 25 cm. It flowers from late spring to late summer, on top of thin stems and a downy foliage. It bears small white flowers with maroon undersides which open in the evening and close again in the morning. The finely shaped blooms are composed of 5 deeply-lobed petals. It is because of the sweet scent of honey that they release at nightfall that it is named midnight candy.

Night Phlox has retained from its African ancestry, a clear preference for warm, sunny positions and well-drained soils. It is still a little demanding in terms of watering which should be regular.

Plant it out in the garden in regions with mild climates, or in pots where winters are harsher so that it can be easily moved to be overwintered inside. During this period of dormancy, water sparingly.

It is recommended to grow it in borders around the terrace with dame's rocket or the Heliotropium, to fully take advantage of its fragrance and fill the evenings with lovely scents.