Growing to only about 18 inches tall, the Colorado four oclock has much darker green foliage, though flowers still only open in the evening and are closed by morning. They also have more of a forking growth habit rather than bushy. They produce very vibrant magenta or pink flowers that are tubular in shape with 5 lobed cups instead of petals. This variety is different by its height and flower color. They grow in the southwestern United States in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas, and Utah. One of the lesser known and lesser widespread of the four oclocks is mirabilis multiflora. What are Some Other Mirabilis Species?Ĭolorado Four Oclock Flower (Mirabilis Multiflora) If the plant is left to self seed, it can do so surprisingly very vigorously. Though a single seed for one flower doesn’t seem like much, an entire plant can bear many flowers. The seed will be green when immature, and becomes wrinkled and black upon full maturity. Once a four oclock flower is fertilized, it will produce fruit in the form of a single seed. Flower stems are full and thick and boast a quadrangular shape.Ī single plant will bear many tubular shaped flowers of varying colors with many ovately shaped leaves that create quite an impressive shrubby growth habit. They can grow to be between 1 and 2 metres in height. This herbaceous, perennial, bushy plant has quite the stature. Each leaf will be an ovate shape and a glabrous green color. Mirabilis foliage is the lesser ornamental part of the plant but still provides lovely accompaniment for the flowers. Colors of patterns can include yellow, red, magenta, pink, white, and a combination of any of those. A single flower can be a combination of colors as well. The flower patterns are referred to as either sectors (entire sections of the flower) or flakes (stripes upon the flowers).Ī single plant can bear flowers of different color sectors and flakes. The scent wafts through the cool evening air, and makes for a very enchanting atmosphere for an evening garden party.Īnother unique aspect of the four oclock flower is their coloring. When open, for oclock flowers emit a very strong fragrance that is said to smell like sweet flowering tobacco. This is where their common name comes from. They are unique because these flowers open at dusk (usually between 4-8pm) and close up by the morning. The four oclock flower plant is obviously most notable because of its impeccably lovely flowers. What do Four Oclock Flower Plants Look Like? In colder regions they will exist as annual species, well they will perish once the cold weather arrives. The latin term, mirabilis, translates to “admirable”, which is all one can manage to do when they come across this amazing plant species.įour oclock flowers will grow as perennial species in their native habitat, where they will continue to blossom year after year as long as their growing conditions remain perfect. Bougainvillea is part of the same family. The four oclock flower family ( mirabilis) is a genus of plants that is part of the nyctaginaceae botanical family, otherwise known as the four oclocks or the umbrellaworts. Though surely they didn’t mind looking at them too much either. In mild winter climates, Four O’Clocks’ self-sow readily, so remove the seed pods before seeds fall to the ground if you don’t want plants to spread around the garden.Mirabilis jalapa if you’re a botanist, four oclock flower if you’re a gardener, or marvel of Peru if you’re Peruvian, mirabilis jalapa is the most commonly grown ornamental variety of the four oclock flowers.įour oclock flower plants have been around for quite a while, and were first cultivated by the Aztecs as both a medicinal and edible plant. If possible, plant Broken Colors close to where you pass by often, so you can enjoy their delicious soft perfume that fills the air. Vigorous, free blooming Four O’Clocks grow quickly and will effortlessly fill in borders or large open areas to bloom in the afternoons and evenings beginning in mid-summer. Thin or transplant seedlings 12 inches apart when they are large enough to handle so plants have ample room to grow and mature. Seeds can be started indoors about 4 weeks before last expected frost, but since Four O’Clocks grow so quickly, we advise sowing directly into the garden in all but very short summer areas. Keep moist until germination in 10 to 12 days. Poke seeds into well-worked soil about 1/2 inch deep, 4 to 5 inches apart. Plant in full sun in ordinary garden soil when spring weather is warm and settled and all danger of frost is past.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |