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About the Four O'Clocks or the "Marvel of Peru." This wonderful tropical wildflower has been gracing gardens for centuries. Your grandmother probably grew it, and knew the big secret of the older seeds. They are famous for rapid growth and producing glossy-leaved plants having flowers in several colors--on the same plant!
The names tell the story. The blooms open in the afternoon, thus the common name "Four O'Clock." And the botanical name, Mirabilis jalapa should tell you the plant comes from a Spanish-speaking area. "Mirabilis" means "wonderful" in Latin, and the Spanish-appearing "Jalapa" (the j is pronounced as an "h" in Spanish) is a town in Mexico.
Then there's that other common name: "Marvel of Peru." This exotic descriptive name tells you the plants grow wild in the Andes, and the "Marvel" part refers to the fact that they do produce flowers in several colors on the same plant. Seeds were sent to Europe by Spanish explorers in the 1500's.
In your garden, you have a choice of which color(s) you want to grow. Yes, the wild plants do have flowers in several colors, but they're rangy, somewhat weedy plants, too. The hybrids we plant today are organized by color and make neat, bushy growth, rarely over about 24."
Associated SKUs
MJYEG
MJYEQP (1/4 Pound) - Out of stock.
MJYELB (1 Pound) - Out of stock.
Common Name
Four O'Clock
Botanical Name
Mirabilis jalapa
Seed Life Cycle
Annuals
Light Requirements
Full Sun
Flower Color
Yellow
Mature Height
12-36" tall
Bloom Time
Spring to summer
Ships As
Seed
Coverage
1/4 lb covers 181 sq ft.
1 lb covers 725 sq ft.
Seeds Per Pound
6,000
Soil Moisture
Dry, Average, Moist/Wet, Well Draining
Soil Type
Clay Soil, Sandy Soil, Loamy Soil, Drought/Dry Soil, Moist/Wet Soil
Native To
Latin America
Ideal Region
Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, West, Pacific Northwest
Zones
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Advantages
Easy to Grow, Fragrant, Extended Blooms
Is It Storable?
Yes - You can store your seed in any cool (not freezing) dry place that is not subject to extreme temperature variations.
Non-GMO
Yes
Neonicotinoid-Free
Yes - Learn More
Ships to Hawaii, Alaska & Canada
Yes
Most orders ship within 48 hours or less.
As soon as your order is placed you will receive a confirmation email. You will receive a second email the day your order ships telling you how it has been sent. Orders for in-season products ship within 48 hours or less. Depending upon your order date, we may hold your shipment to combine it with other products on your order, if applicable. See our shipping information page for approximate ship dates and more detailed information. If you need express shipping or have any questions, please call Customer Service toll-free at (877) 309-7333 or contact us by email.
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Comments about American Meadows Four O'Clock Seeds Yellow:
I had ordered a small quanity of these seeds and after putting in the ground Michigan gave us one of those Michigan suprises ~~~~ frost and freezing temps but I had enough seeds to start over and they are gorgeous !!!!!
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To determine if a plant is sufficiently cold hardy, the USDA created numbered zones indicating winter low temperatures; the lower the zone number the colder the winter.
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