Mirabilis Species, Colorado Four O'clock, Froebel's Four-O'clock, High Desert Four O'Clock

I bought a couple of Mirablis multiflora tubers mailorder in the spring of 2019. They sprouted and grew very quickly, growing down a maso...Read Morenry wall about 3 feet. This year they are even more robust, reaching about 4 feet to the ground in a very large mound. From about the end of June through to (at least last year) September, the plants were in constant flower, often covered with violet flowers that, true to the plant's name, opened around 3-4 pm each day. What amazes me is that this plant is growing very well in the Washington, DC area where our average yearly rainfall is 40 inches. I do have this planted in soil at the edge of a retaining wall down a slope that gets fairly dry in the summer; there's also gravel under/near the plants. (I grow Opuntia humifusa successfully here as well.)

No sign of any invasive nature in this area/climate. Highly recommended for cascading over a masonry wall in full sun!

Per Jan Emming, Destination:Forever Ranch and Gardens, a 40 acre desert botanical garden/sustainable living homestead, AZ.:
"Walki...Read Moreng around the wilder portions of my property at about dusk led me to see this scene of a white-lined sphinx moth (Hyles lineata) feeding at a Colorado four o'clock (Mirabilis multiflora). The moth feeds on the four o'clock in two ways - as an adult who pollinates the magenta flowers while seeking nectar, and as a larva that eats the leaves. White-lined sphinx moths are quite generalist in their feeding habits, with adults visiting a wide variety of flowers and the larvae eating many types of plants, as opposed to just one species or family as is so common with other moths and butterflies. Small black caterpillars are already present and will soon consume a fair proportion of the four o'clock. They, in turn, are themselves widely consumed by numerous desert critters, helping keep their feeding in check so that all survive to some successful extent in the web of life."

Bayfield Colorado zone 4
I have had mostly good luck buying the plants. They do reseed but only where they want to. Every fall, ...Read MoreI scatter the seed hoping they will " take" but so far , no luck. When I have soaked, scarred and planted, they have not even germinated. They seem to like poor soil, even dry gravel.
If you try to dig one up, be sure you dig really deep, as this plant has a tap root, and try not to disturbed it anymore than you have to.
Beautiful late season color. After blooming, it dries up and blows away, then reimerges late spring. I have mine planted next to Russian Sage which also blooms late summer and it is a striking combo.

The seeds benefit from a sanding - or breaking of the seed coat and then soaking in warm water. Stratification can also help, but it is ...Read Morestill questionable whether this helps, and it may depend on where the seeds were from (colder areas may require this). I have found that especially with older seeds this is not necessary. Put them in moist (not wet) perlite in a re-sealable bag in the fridge for a couple months after the scarification and soaking. Although drought tolerant, I've found that extremely loose soils with no rain are not suitable for these. They need a little summer rain or irrigagion - about once a week when it's really hot. Also these are one of the few natives that actually benifit from some additional nitrogen fertilizer - use organic or not. I think since they tend to grow in and around washes, or near shrubs or small trees, these areas tend to be havens for small mammals and birds which naturally provide fertilizer for these plants. Spectacular when in full bloom! Can be very late coming up - don't give up till summer. Also they divide quite easily in the Spring if you can dig the roots. Fall division may not work as the plant is then more sensitive to frost.