Marvel of Peru

Did you know

• Also called 'four o'clock flower' because the blooms open in the late afternoon and close by morning, releasing a sweet jasmine-like fragrance at night.
• A single plant can produce flowers of different colors simultaneously, and even individual flowers can be streaked with multiple colors.
• The multicolored flowers result from unstable genetic elements called transposons, the same mechanism Barbara McClintock studied to win her Nobel Prize.
• Aztecs used the plant medicinally and cultivated it long before European contact; the species name 'jalapa' refers to Xalapa, Mexico.
• The large black seeds look like tiny grenades and remain viable in soil for years, making the plant incredibly persistent in gardens.

Color meanings

Uses

• ornamental garden plant
• natural dye
• traditional medicine
• evening and fragrance gardens