Four O'Clocks Bareroot | Marvel of Peru | Mirabilis jalapa | Fragrant Perennial

Four O'Clocks Bareroot – Mirabilis jalapa

Four O'Clocks (Mirabilis jalapa), romantically known as the Marvel of Peru, are among the most enchanting and fragrant flowering perennials you can grow. Each afternoon around 4 o’clock, their trumpet-shaped blooms burst open in a spectacular display of color — reds, pinks, yellows, whites, and multicolored bicolors — releasing a sweet, intoxicating fragrance that lingers through the evening, drawing in butterflies and moths by the dozens.

Thanks to natural cross-pollination, Mirabilis jalapa can surprise you with a different color combination every season — truly a marvel in any garden. Compact and easy to establish from bareroot, these plants thrive in containers, garden beds, patios, and borders.

Delivered as bareroot.

Plant Details

• Species: Mirabilis jalapa
• Common Names: Four O’Clocks, Marvel of Peru
• Type: Tender Perennial (grown as annual in colder zones)
• Bloom Colors: Red, Pink, Yellow, White, Bicolor — varies by cross-pollination
• Bloom Time: Afternoon through evening, summer to frost
• Fragrance: Yes — sweet and strong
• Attracts: Butterflies and moths
• Sun: Full sun to partial shade (minimum 4–6 hours direct sunlight)
• Delivered As: Bareroot

Planting Instructions

• Use a garden fork, spade, or tiller to loosen soil to 12 inches deep in an area receiving at least 4–6 hours of direct sunlight daily.
• Mix in 2–3 inches of organic matter (compost or leaf mold) to create a well-drained, fertile bed.
• Dig a hole twice as wide and 1 inch deeper than the tuber. Space multiple tubers 24 inches apart.
• Set the tuber upright — roots down, rounded top up — so the top sits approximately 1 inch below the soil line. Backfill and tamp gently.
• Water with 1 inch of water at planting; maintain moist soil for the first two weeks, then water weekly throughout the season.

Growing Tips

• If unsure which end is up, plant the tuber on its side 2 inches below the soil line — once sprouted, reposition vertically.
• Once plants emerge, apply 10-10-10 fertilizer (7 tablespoons per 10 sq ft) before rain or watering. Repeat every 4–6 weeks until blooming. Stop if foliage yellows.
• Remove spent blooms to encourage continued flowering through the season.