Four O'Clock Flower Red

What Four O'Clock Flower Red is

Four O'Clock Flower Red (Mirabilis jalapa) is a perennial flower of the Nyctaginaceae family. Its flowers can vary between yellow, white, pink, red and speckled in different shades. Gardeners combine it perfectly with other more vigorous plants, grasses and shrubs.

It is an annual herbaceous plant and semi-hardy. They are able to tolerate low temperatures without their growth and health being affected.

Its branches are very elongated and quite fragile, especially when temperatures are lower.

It can reach a height of between 25 and 130 centimetres. As it grows, it takes on a globular shape, similar to the pepper plant.

Four o’clock flower (Mirabilis) opens its fragrant flowers in the afternoon and at dusk – often in different colours on the same plant. It is grown as an annual.

Key features

• Measured germination rate of the batch: 92%
• Pack size: 1 g
• Seed origin: China
• Sowing: March and April; direct or as seedlings
• Flowering: June – November
• Position: sunny spot

When to sow Four O'Clock Flower Red

Four O'Clock Flower Red seeds are sown in March and April. The plants flower in June – November. The months are a guide for a temperate climate — in warmer areas sow 1–2 weeks earlier, in cooler or upland areas, later.

How to sow and grow Four O'Clock Flower Red

• Sowing method: direct or seedlings
• Depth: 1–2 cm
• Spacing: 40–50 cm
• Germination: 7–14 days at 18–22 °C
• Position: sunny spot

The soil where it is grown should be fertile and well-drained. Because it has a fairly deep, tuberous root system, it can withstand periods of drought and adverse conditions. In regions where temperatures are lower and frosts are usual, its aerial part dies back to save energy and survive. However, when spring returns and temperatures are more pleasant, it sprouts again. It flowers throughout summer and autumn – from July to October.

Soak the seeds for a few hours. In autumn the tubers can be lifted and stored. The seeds are poisonous.

Flowering and uses

Flowers from July until the frosts.

Frequently asked questions

When should Four O'Clock Flower Red be sown?

The recommended sowing months are March and April. Sowing method: direct or seedlings.

What is the germination rate of the seeds?

The measured germination rate of this batch is 92%. The test was carried out under controlled laboratory conditions; in the field, emergence depends on soil, temperature and moisture.