#974 Mirabilis jalapa Common Names: four o' clock, marvel-of-Peru, beauty-of-the-night Family: Nyctaginaceae (four-o'clock Family) Get link to this Profile or click for Datasheet Wallpaper Gallery (6 images)

A yellow four o'clock awakens following an evening summer shower. Download a large version (800x600) of this image.

Hybrids between this species and M. longiflora are available. The 'Jingles' cultivars are smaller with multi-colored flowers.

Location
Four o'clocks are native to tropical South America. They have become naturalized in many parts of the Southern U.S.

Culture
Fast growing four o'clocks are easy to grow and essentially trouble free, thriving in most any soil.
Light: Four o'clocks do best in full sun, but also perform well in partial shade.
Moisture: Regular garden moisture. Reduce watering in winter.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 7-11. Four o'clocks are perennial sub-shrubs in zones 10 and 11. They are grown as annuals in cool regions. To grow them as returning perennials, lift the tubers in fall and store in a frost-free location. In zones 7 through 9, four o'clocks can be mulched with straw for overwintering in the garden.
Propagation: Plant seeds in early spring or divide tubers any time. If you soak the large black seeds in water overnight before planting they will germinate quicker. If you get one that you like especially, you can dig up the tuber at the end of the season and replant it next spring. Four o'clocks will self seed. The large, elongate tubers make it difficult to transplant very large specimens.

Even when they're not awake the four o'clocks are colorful characters like this one still sound asleep at 6:00 PM. Download a large version (800x600) of this image.

Features
Within its natural range in South America, the root of the four o'clock is used medicinally and as a hallucinogen. The flowers are used for making dyes. The flowers actually have no petals - what looks like the corolla is in fact the calyx, but only a botanist would appreciate the distinction!

WARNING
Four o'clocks self seed and may become a nuisance if not kept under control. If left to spread unchecked, they then can be difficult to eliminate because of the large, deep-rooted tubers. All parts of the plant are said to be poisonous - do not ingest!

Steve Christman 7/20/03; updated 10/9/03

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