Four-o’clock, also called the marvel-of-Peru, is an attractive perennial from tropical America. It is easy to grow and is cultivated as an annual in North America. The four-o’clock gets its name because its flowers open late in the afternoon and close in the morning. The plant grows from 2 to 4 feet (61 to 120 centimeters) high. Its fragrant flowers may be white, pink, red, yellow, or a mixture of some of these colors. What appear to be the flowers are actually colorful involucres (modified leaves) surrounding the tiny true flowers. Four-o’clocks grown in warmer regions may have roots that weigh more than 40 pounds (18 kilograms).
The four-o’clock grows well in almost any kind of soil. The plant can be started from seeds, or from its roots, saved for planting in the spring. The four-o’clock makes an attractive, bushy border plant.
