Their blooms wait until the second half of the afternoon, around 4 pm, then open and pour out a deliciously scented odour all night long. Four o’clock flowers (Mirabilis) are grown for exactly that: plant them where they catch the afternoon sun, on the western side of a house or hedge, and the blooming will be more intense.
| Name | Mirabilis species |
|---|---|
| Family | Nyctaginaceae |
| Type | annual or perennial |
| Height | 3 feet (90 cm) |
| Exposure | full sun |
| Soil | ordinary, well-drained |
| Flowering | early summer to early autumn |
Each species is unique but care is often similar. Proper care for most of the species is the same. In all cases, Mirabilis tends to spread easily, so carefully check its boundaries or it will turn invasive.
Mirabilis plants are often sold for planting in Spring.
Once your Mirabilis is established, it will bear seeds. It’s easy to grow Mirabilis from seed.
Make sure drainage is good enough that water never accumulates around the roots.
Since most mirabilis species bloom in the afternoon or evening, it’s best to plant it in a spot that gets afternoon sun. This is on the western side of a house, garden bed, or hedge. The blooming will be more intense!
Mirabilis plants don’t need any pruning. They won’t develop any woody parts and in colder climates will die back in winter.
When the blooming starts, you can trigger more blooms by removing dead or wilted flowers.
Since seeds have a high rate of germination, any patch of Mirabilis will quickly start spreading after the first year.
Mirabilis plants aren’t frost hardy. In case of frost, airborn parts will die off. However, if the freezing is mild or if you’ve added mulch, they will certainly sprout from the tuber (roots) in spring.
Potted Mirabilis jalapa can be overwintered in a frost-free shed or garage, keeping the compost barely moist so the tuber does not shrivel; check that temperatures there never fall below freezing.
The most famous Mirabilis flower is Mirabilis jalapa, also called the four o’clock flower. It is commonly sold in garden stores for its fragrant flowers.
Interesting Mirabilis species include the following:
All Mirabilis plants originated in the Americas.
The genus covers far more than the four o’clock flower of garden stores. Here is what each of the species mentioned above brings to a garden.
| Species | Also called | Origin or status | What it offers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mirabilis jalapa | Four o’clock flower | Sold throughout the world, non-hardy | Fragrant flowers that open up in the evening |
| Mirabilis rotundifolia | — | Endemic to Colorado, currently threatened | Round leaves; shale mulch is the perfect growing environment |
| Mirabilis expansa | Chago or mauka | Native to the Andes, domesticated by the Inca | Food crop: tuber and stems can be cooked |
| Mirabilis longiflora | Sweet four o’clock | Mounding shrub, 2 feet (60 cm) high and twice as wide | Delicious orange-blossom-like scent |
| Mirabilis multiflora | Wild four o’clock | American native | Astounding bushes covered in violet flowers |
All Mirabilis plants originated in the Americas.
Beyond the plain species, seed catalogues offer a handful of named four o’clocks that differ mainly in flower colour, marking and foliage. Here is what each one brings to an evening border.
| Variety | Flower colour | Foliage and habit | Why grow it |
|---|---|---|---|
| ‘Marbles Yellow & White’ | Yellow and white marbled | Compact, well branched | Softer bicolour, shows up at dusk |
| ‘Tea Time White’ | Pure white | Uniform, compact | Glows in a night garden, strong scent |
| ‘Marbles Red & Yellow’ | Red and yellow marbled | Compact, well branched | Bold bicolour for pots and front of border |
| ‘Alba’ | White | Bushy, medium | Scented white planting under a window |
| ‘Tea Time Red’ | Deep red | Uniform, compact | Single-colour bedding and containers |
| ‘Broken Colours’ | Streaked and flecked, two or more tones | Bushy, medium | No two flowers alike on the same plant |
| ‘Limelight’ | Magenta pink | Chartreuse-yellow leaves, medium | Grown as much for foliage contrast |
| ‘Jingles’ | Striped and splashed mixture | Bushy, medium | Patterned flowers, cottage-garden look |
Plants of the Mirabilis family are often called four o’clock flowers. This is because their blooms always tend to open in the second half of the afternoon, around 4 pm.
The sun’s heat starts to diminish, which triggers opening of the flowers. More pollinators are active at dusk thanks to the cooler temperatures.
Flowers are fragrant and release a deliciously scented odor during the entire night.
If you’re fond of sleeping with windows open in summer, plant Mirabilis under your room window outside. The fragrance will call on peaceful and restful dreams and lure you to sleep!
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