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Nyctaginaceae
Colorado Four O'Clock
Mirabilis multiflora
Evening wonder.
- Family
- Nyctaginaceae
- Genus
- Mirabilis
- Native to
- Southwestern United States, Northern Mexico
- Bloom season
- Spring, Summer, Fall
- Type
- perennial
- Height
- 1-2 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- dry, sandy, well-drained, rocky
- Water
- low
- Hardiness
- 5-10
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- The flowers open in late afternoon and close by morning, giving the plant its four o'clock common name.
- A single plant can produce hundreds of vivid magenta flowers that attract hawkmoths as nighttime pollinators.
- The plant forms a massive tuberous root that can weigh over 40 pounds and survive extreme drought.
- Native Americans used various parts of the plant medicinally, including as a treatment for stomach ailments.
- Colorado four o'clock grows wild in desert scrubland and produces mounding plants that can reach 4 feet wide.
Color meanings
0
timidity
1
beauty
2
wonder