Annuals Dictionary:
Mirabilis |
Four-O'Clock family
Nyctaginaceae
Mi-ra'bil-is. Sixty species of tropical American herbs, only the species below commonly in cultivation.
Description
Roots thickened or tuberous. Leaves opposite, generally stalked. Flowers solitary, or a few from a calyxlike involucre, the true calyx corolla-like, tubular, and red, yellow, or white. Petals none. Stamens 5-6.
How to Grow
In the North, start seeds early indoors in peat pots and transplant after danger of frost is past. In mild climates, sow seeds in the garden during spring or fall. These warm-weather plants are perennials in the South and warm West, but will bloom reliably the first season. Plants quickly grow quite large, so space them 3 ft. (90 cm) apart in full sun.
Mirabilis Jalapa
Four-O'Clock
;
Marvel-of-Peru
. 1 Ɖ-3 ft. (45-90 cm) high. Flowers to 1 in. (2.5 cm) wide, red, pink, yellow, or white, sometimes striped, the tube 1-2 in. (2.5-5.0 cm) long, usually solitary in the involucre. Flowers open in the late afternoon. Many cultivars, some compact, dwarf, or variegated. Roots can be dug up in fall and stored over winter. Tender perennial grown as a tender annual.
