Four O'Clocks (Marvel of Peru)
Mirabilis jalapa
[approx. 10-15 seeds/gram]

These heirlooms will bring back memories of grandma’s house. If you work all day and relax in the garden in the afternoon, this is a perfect flower choice because they wait until late afternoon to bloom.

The flowers range in color from pink to white to purplish-red, to lavender to yellow.  They are fragrant, trumpet-shaped, stay open all night and fade in the morning sun.

Back to the Main Perennial Flower Page

They are a tender perennial in USDA zones 9-11 and grown as an annual in colder climates.

Plant in a location with well-drained soil and one that receives full sun.  They can reach up to 3 feet tall and will spread from 1 to 3 feet.

Cultivated back as far as the 18th Century.  Listed in Bernard M'Mahon's 1804 "Catalogue of American Seeds".  Bushy, 12 to 36 inches tall.