# Four O'Clock (*Mirabilis pudica Barneby*)

The Four O'Clock flower is named for its habit of opening its blooms in the late afternoon. These colorful flowers come in shades of pink, red, yellow, and white, adding beauty to gardens.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 2/5 · Low
- **Habitat:** Gardens
- **Also known as:** Marvel of Peru, Mirabilis

![Four O'Clock](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/2006-10-18Mirabilis_jalapa10.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Wildfeuer, CC BY 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2006-10-18Mirabilis_jalapa10.jpg)

## Appearance

The Four O'Clock is a bushy plant with trumpet-shaped flowers that open in the late afternoon. Its vibrant blooms, often in shades of pink, red, yellow, or white, may appear striped or mottled, making each flower unique.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Caryophyllales
- **Family:** Nyctaginaceae
- **Genus:** Mirabilis

## Interesting facts

- Its name comes from the flowers often opening around 4 PM, like a living clock!
- Some plants can grow flowers of different colors, like pink and yellow, all on one plant!
- The unique seeds look like tiny, wrinkled hand grenades, waiting to pop open!
- Traditional healers once used its roots for stomach issues, a secret ancient remedy!

## Special abilities

- **Night Bloomers:** Four O'Clock can open its fragrant flowers at dusk, attracting nighttime pollinators like moths with its sweet scent.
- **Hidden Storehouse:** Four O'Clock has thick, tuberous roots that store water and nutrients, helping it survive dry periods.
- **Pop-open Seeds:** Four O'Clock forms distinctive black, ribbed seeds that pop open when mature, spreading new plants easily.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 60-100 cm
- **Spread:** 60-90 cm
- **Flower Size:** 2-4 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer to Fall
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Moderate
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Tobacco Hornworm Moth (*Manduca sexta*) — visits flowers for nectar at night
- **Eaten by:** Beet Armyworm (*Spodoptera exigua*) — caterpillars munch on its leaves
- **Symbiotic with:** Humans (*Homo sapiens*) — cultivates for ornamental beauty and traditional uses

## Traits

- [Cluster Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cluster-flower): Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem.
- [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground.
- [Everblooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/everblooming): Everblooming plants produce flowers continuously or in repeated flushes over a long period.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Night Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/night-blooming): Night blooming plants open their flowers after sunset, often to attract nocturnal pollinators with their scent and appearance.

## Collections

- [Flowers](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/flowers)

## Safety

**Danger:** 2/5 · Low

Enjoy the beauty of Four O'Clock flowers from a safe distance and avoid touching or ingesting them.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Four O'Clock?

Count the petals where you can, then compare the flower's center, its symmetry, how the blooms are grouped and the leaves below. Color varies between garden varieties and shifts with the light. Flower Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Four O'Clock?

60-100 cm

### How wide does Four O'Clock spread?

60-90 cm

### How big are the flowers on Four O'Clock?

2-4 cm

### When does Four O'Clock bloom?

Summer to Fall

### Is Four O'Clock edible?

No

### Is Four O'Clock toxic?

Moderate

### What is Four O'Clock's lifecycle?

Perennial

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Four O'Clock: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/four-oclock)