Four o’clocks
June 24, 2009 – 7:54 am
Walking around this morning I wandered past the four o’clocks, still open at 6:30AM. A better name for them would be “all-nighters” since they open in late afternoon and remain that way until full daylight. Like many of my college friends, they take a little nap before getting up to do it all over again.
For many Southerners, four o’clocks (Mirabilis jalapa) invoke fond memories of childhood, Sunday dinners at grandma’s house and endless walks in sunlit woods. For me, they’re just nice plants to have around. Easy to grow, almost impossible to kill, hummingbird magnets by day and sphinx moth magnets at night. Their scent is strongest in the evening, filling the air with a heady sweetness unlike anything else. Chances are if you walk in the evenings, you will catch their perfume but never know where it comes from.
That's a 6 foot fence behind them
Although originally from South America, they can also be considered a native of tropical North America, growing anywhere the seeds fall. Up North you can reseed every year and grow four o’clocks as a colorful 2 foot annual but down here it’s more of a perennial shrub, dying to the ground to return with renewed vigor. In my yard, the first year it grows 2-3 feet. The second year, 4-6 feet, spreading itself just as wide.
Recently a friend saw four o’clock tubers for sale at a local flea market. I didn’t realize at the time but came to research that yes, they can grow from tubers, dug up and replanted wherever you want them. Dave’s Garden says they are heavy feeders but they will tolerate whatever they get. Full sun to partial shade, 10-10-10 fertilizer or nothing. They come in all colors and variegations but pinks and reds seem to be the hardiest.
So whether you’re a master gardener or a novice, four o’clocks can be a happy addition to your garden. Plant them where you can enjoy them best in the evenings. Like children, the more nourishment you give them, the more they will prosper, but even if you ignore them, they still seem to make it just fine. Need seeds? Come help yourself to my fuschias.
Happy Day,
2 Responses to “Four o’clocks”
I like them also,
Does Etta June Williams belong to your club? Maida wants her e-mail and I don’t even have a phone number….if you have this inf., would you please send it to me.
Thanks,
Lib
By Lib Rentz on Jun 24, 2009
I have some that are red and yellow.
By caroline Farrar on Jun 24, 2009