Funnel-shaped blooms in red, white, pink and yellow unfurl only as the afternoon fades, which earned four o’clock flower (Mirabilis) its name and its other title, Marvel of Peru. Give it full sun and ordinary well-drained soil and it flowers from summer into mid-autumn, sowing itself generously wherever it settles.
| Name | Mirabilis |
|---|---|
| Family | Nyctaginaceae |
| Type | perennial, annual |
| Height | 32 inches (80 cm) |
| Soil | ordinary, well drained |
| Exposure | full sun |
| Flowering | summer to mid-autumn, after 4PM (16:00) |
Four o’clock flower spreads quite fast, sometimes to the point of being invasive. But if growth is monitored, it becomes an easy flower plant to care for and is very ornamental.
April to May for plants purchased in nursery pots or containers.
To sow four o’clock flowers from seed,
Four o’clock flower can be bought as a young plant or raised from seed, either under shelter or straight in the bed. The route you choose only changes when you start and when the plants go out.
| Starting method | When to start | When it goes in the ground | Spacing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plants bought in nursery pots or containers | Mid-spring to late spring | Straight away, at planting | 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm) |
| Seed sown in a sheltered place | Early spring | Late spring | 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm) |
| Seed sown directly in the ground | Late spring | Sown where it is to grow | 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm) |
No pruning is really required, but if you remove wilted flowers when they appear, this will enhance production of new flowers.
Even though it tends to become invasive because four o’clock flower re-sows itself year after year, it is still quite easy to control its growth by pulling out excess plants when they sprout.
This cute perennial with funnel-shaped flowers owes its name to the peculiar fact that its flowers open up in the evening and wilt away in the following spring. Other names for this flower are Marvel of Peru or lady-of-the-night.
Its blooming time is the opposite of that of morning glory…
Colors range from red to white and include pink and yellow. They’ll be much deeper if you provide organic perennial plant fertilizer at the beginning of spring.
This is the ideal plant for gardens designed to look a bit wild.
If you’re planting directly in spring, add special flower plant soil mix to your garden soil, this will enhance the soil and promote the growth of your plants!
