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Four-o'clock · Mirabilis

Four-o'clock · Mirabilis

Mirabilis jalapa

Balcony Garden Sun Partial shade PerennialEasy

For your Four-o'clock · Mirabilis

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Profile

Plant group
Tuberous summer-flowering perennial
Growth & habit
Bushy herbaceous stems grow from substantial storage roots. In Germany it is often treated as an annual summer flower.
Foliage
Soft broad oval leaves are opposite. Above-ground stems die in frost.
Family
Four-o'clock family · Nyctaginaceae
Origin
Tropical America; now grown in many warm regions
Height
Usually about 0.5–1 m, depending on cultivar and position
Bloom
Summer to autumn; scented flowers often open in late afternoon
Toxicity
Do not eat seeds or storage roots; keep away from children and pets

Care calendar

Leaf emergence

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Sow or start overwintered storage roots in frost-free conditions.

Flowering / flower development

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Flowers through summer and autumn until cold weather.

Leaf fall

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Stems die in frost; prevent storage roots from freezing through.

Pruning & growth habit

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Pinch young shoots if bushier growth is wanted; remove dead stems at the end of the season.

Guidance for Germany and Central Europe. Position, weather, species and cultivar shift these windows; indoor and container plants also depend on their winter conditions.

Your seasonal care plan

  • Check moisture

    Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec

    Check soil or root-ball moisture regularly during strong growth. Water thoroughly in dry conditions without waterlogging. Dormant storage roots kept frost-free do not need a summer watering routine.

  • Feed active growth

    Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep

    Account for existing nutrition and root condition. Exact dilution and application limits are given with the linked product. Dilution: 5 ml per 1.5 litres of water. Every 1–2 weeks during active growth. April–September.

    View product dosage and application →

  • Prepare the root space

    Mar · Apr · May

    Choose timing by species and growth, checking medium and drainage. Follow the full instructions for the linked growing medium.

    View product dosage and application →

  • Care through winter

    Oct · Nov · Dec · Jan · Feb · Mar

    Grow as an annual or overwinter storage roots in cool, dry, frost-free conditions.

Highlighted months are guidance, not fixed dates. Observe the plant, root ball and weather; water, feed and repot according to actual need.

Seasonal care intensity

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Seasonal guidance for Germany. Needs depend on location, weather and species. Check moisture in winter too; these markers are not a feeding schedule.

Peak care Active Reduced care

Care tips

  • Calendar for Germany/Central Europe; species, weather and location can shift timing. Grow as an annual or overwinter storage roots in cool, dry, frost-free conditions.

Fruit & harvest

Fruit and seed formation

Four o'clocks develop dark ribbed, single-seeded fruits after flowering. Gardeners often simply call these seeds; mature examples are readily recognisable.

Harvest and use

Not a food crop. Do not eat seeds or roots. For sowing, collect mature material and keep it clearly labelled; offspring may differ from the parent in flower colour.

Plant knowledge at a glance

Position, benefits & character

Position & soil

Warm, sunny to lightly shaded; freely draining soil with even moisture. Large containers dry more slowly than small pots.

Distinctive features

One plant may carry flowers of different colours. The showy flower envelope often opens towards evening.

Benefits

A useful plant beside an evening sitting area, where colour and scent are especially noticeable.

Partners & symbioses

Evening flowers can attract moths. This does not replace choosing a variety of locally suitable insect plants.

Pruning & growth habit

Allow a bushy outline and select only awkward or damaged shoots.

  1. 1. Assess growth

    Allow a bushy outline and select only awkward or damaged shoots.

  2. 2. Prune lightly

    Avoid repeatedly removing developing flowers. Young tips can be pinched lightly for branching.

  3. 3. Prepare winter storage

    After dieback, remove dry stems and store roots frost-free; check for rot.

Nursery forms

This overview explains nursery supply forms. It does not indicate current availability in the GREEN24 shop.

Bare-root

Ask a specialist nursery

Not a usual trading form for this plant group.

Root-balled

Not typical for this profile

Not a usual trading form for this plant group.

Container-grown

Common form

Rooted pot or container stock; inspect plant and root ball before buying.

Young plant

Common form

Young plants allow early shaping but need time to establish.

Shrub

Not typical for this profile

Not a usual trading form for this plant group.

Feathered tree

Not typical for this profile

Not a usual trading form for this plant group.

Half-standard

Not typical for this profile

Not a usual trading form for this plant group.

Standard

Not typical for this profile

Not a usual trading form for this plant group.

Topiary

Not typical for this profile

Not a usual trading form for this plant group.

Propagation & grafting

Propagation

Seed propagation is usual; overwintered storage roots sprout again. Move young plants outside only after frost risk has passed.

Grafting

Grafting is not usual in ordinary cultivation. Seed-grown plants may vary in colour.

Species & cultivars

Mirabilis jalapa

White, yellow, pink or multicoloured garden forms; seed-grown colours vary.

Pests & diseases

These signs support an initial assessment. Different causes may look alike; choose a treatment only after identifying the problem.

Position & water first

Warm, sunny to lightly shaded; freely draining soil with even moisture. Large containers dry more slowly than small pots.

Recognise pests

Slugs and aphids can damage young plants; inspect new growth.

Assess damage

Check soft storage roots and dark stem bases for rot; avoid wet winter storage.

Hardiness · USDA

USDA describes climate using long-term winter minima, not a safe frost limit for an individual root ball.

Mirabilis jalapa
USDA 9a–10bSpecies example; account for cultivar, age and site.

USDA zones describe long-term average winter extremes. Containers, young plants, wet soil, wind and late frost need separate consideration.

Understand USDA zones and maps →

A closer look

Four-o’clock sowing material
Fruit

Four-o’clock sowing material

Dark, wrinkled one-seeded Mirabilis jalapa fruits of the type used for sowing. Reduced-size, uncropped version.

Ursus sapien · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Image source

Botanical features vary with age, species and cultivar.

Matching GREEN24 products

Matching fertilisers and substrates for your plant care.