Perennial
Desert Four O'Clock
Mirabilis multiflora
A wide mound of blue-gray leaves covered in magenta trumpets every afternoon.
- Pollinator
- Native
- Deer-resistant
Quick facts
- Hardiness
- USDA zones 5–10
- Water
- Very low once established
- Sun
- Full sun
- Size
- 12–18 in. tall × 3–4 ft wide
- Bloom & interest
- Magenta trumpets that open in the late afternoon, summer to fall
- Plant type
- Perennial
- Native range
- Native to the Southwest and Colorado Plateau (CO, UT, NM, AZ, NV, CA, TX)
Why we recommend it
A tough native that forms a 3–4 ft mound of flowers from a deep taproot, feeding hawkmoths at dusk on no supplemental water.
Best regions: SouthwestHigh DesertFront RangeGreat Basin
How to grow it
Watering to establish
Water every week or two the first summer only; established plants need none.
Pruning
Cut the frost-killed stems back to the crown in late fall or spring.
Soil
Deep, sandy or gravelly soil; the huge taproot resents transplanting and wet soil.
Pairs well with
Read more
Where to buy
Shop Desert Four O'Clock from trusted growers. For the best selection of xeric plants, try a mail-order specialist or ask a local independent nursery.
- High Country Gardens (opens in a new tab)Xeric specialist
- Nature Hills Nursery (opens in a new tab)Wide selection
- American Meadows (opens in a new tab)Perennials & seeds
- Etsy (opens in a new tab)Small growers
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