Mirabilis multiflora (Torr.) A. Gray

Colorado four o’clock, showy four o’clock

This tough perennial sinks deep roots—once established, it is very resistant to drought. It is native to the American southwest.

Plants: This low, bushy species forks into many branches, forming leafy clumps up to 1½′ (45 cm) high and 3′ (91 cm) wide.

Leaves: Cordate, dark grayish green, shiny, often pointed, with very fine hairs. They are on short petioles. (There may be two varieties that are slightly different.)

Flowers: Very attractive flowers are funnel-shaped, magenta, 1–3″ (2.5–7.6 cm) long and about 1″ (2.5 cm) around. The appear at leaf axils and in clumps at the ends of stems, appearing from April to September, especially after rain. Four o’clocks are so-named because they bloom in the late afternoon.

Fruits: Fruits are a small, dark seed covered with knobby or wartlike protuberances, and may feel slimy or sticky when wet.

Habitats: Gravelly and sandy soils, often in the partial shade of trees, at elevations of 2300–7500′ (701–2286 m).

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Mirabilis multiflora description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.

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