by Lydia Holley                                       August 12, 2024

Do you know what time it is? If you have Four o’clocks in your garden, you might. Four o’clocks (Mirabilis jalapa) open in the afternoons, and the regularity of their late-opening bloom time is the reason they acquired such a cute common name. Do not set your watch by them, though. They will open earlier on cloudy days. 

Four o’clocks, also known as Marvel of Peru, are native to Mexico, South, and Central America. They appreciate a tropical environment but still grow well in East Texas. They will return from tuberous roots in the spring after dying to the ground with the first frost. They need well-draining soil and will grow in full sun to part shade. 

Four o’clocks come in a variety of colors including pink, red, magenta, yellow, and white. Sometimes different colored blooms will exist on the same plant. Even the individual flowers can have more than one color. Or, they can be speckled or variegated. Four o’clocks can be planted as a border, in containers, or placed throughout the garden. Usually not eaten by deer, they are considered poisonous to humans, but have only a low severity. 

If you know someone with Four o’clock plants, they will probably share seeds if you ask them to since each plant produces hundreds. Maturing in the fall, seeds should roll out of the flower’s bracts after they turn black. Soak the seeds overnight for improved germination. They can be sown directly into the soil by lightly covering them or you may start them indoors. Sometimes they will seed themselves around the garden. 

They will grow two to three feet tall and wide and bloom in summer through fall, emitting a sweet scent some say is similar to honeysuckle or orange blossom. The flowers will attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and at night, sphinx moths or other night pollinators. 

The value of moths as pollinators has long been overlooked, but after leading a three-year study on night pollinators, Stephen Robertson of South Dakota State University Extension says, “it is conceivable that, contrary to widely held belief, Lepidoptera are the most important global pollinators.” He also states that Lepidoptera, the insect group which includes both butterflies and moths, can carry pollen much longer distances than bees. 

If you are wanting a flower with colorful blooms, a sweet scent, or are interested in helping increase pollinators, it just might be time to add Four o’clocks to your garden.