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Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

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Mirabilis linearis (Narrowleaf four o'clock)
Bransford, W.D. and Dolphia

Mirabilis linearis

Mirabilis linearis (Pursh) Heimerl

Narrowleaf Four O'Clock

Nyctaginaceae (Four O'clock Family)

Synonym(s): Allionia decumbens, Allionia gausapoides, Allionia linearis, Calymenia decumbens, Mirabilis decumbens, Mirabilis diffusa, Mirabilis gausapoides, Mirabilis hirsuta var. linearis, Mirabilis lanceolata, Mirabilis linearis var. linearis, Mirabilis linearis var. subhispida, Oxybaphus angustifolius, Oxybaphus decumbens, Oxybaphus diffusus, Oxybaphus gausapoides, Oxybaphus lanceolatus, Oxybaphus linearis, Oxybaphus linearis var. subhispidus

USDA Symbol: MILI3

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)

Mirabilis, in Latin, and Maravilla, in Spanish, both mean "marvelous," which the flowers certainly are. They open in the shade of the late afternoon. This lovely native species is a close relative of Common Four-o'clock (M. jalapa), a plant originally from Mexico, popular in gardens since the Aztecs, and now commonly escaping into the wild; it has purple, yellow, or sometimes white or variegated flowers generally not longer than 2 1/2" (6.5 cm).

 

From the Image Gallery

35 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb , Subshrub
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Fruit Type: Accessory
Size Notes: Stems decumbent, ascending, or erect with an upright narrow growth pattern. Stems up to about 4 feet long.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Pink , Purple
Bloom Time: May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep

Distribution

USA: AR , AZ , CA , CO , CT , IL , IN , KS , MI , MN , MO , MS , MT , ND , NE , NJ , NM , NV , NY , OK , PA , SD , TN , TX , UT , WI , WY
Canada: AB , MB , SK

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Cold Tolerant: yes
Heat Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: Prefers dry, rocky or sandy soil of plains, hillsides, and roadsides.

Benefit

Conspicuous Flowers: yes

Propagation

Propagation Material: Seeds

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Fredericksburg Nature Center - Fredericksburg, TX
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Sibley Nature Center - Midland, TX

Herbarium Specimen(s)

NPSOT 0139 Collected Sept. 30, 1991 in Bexar County by Lottie Millsaps
NPSOT 0996 Collected Oct 12, 1994 in Bexar County by Harry Cliffe
NPSOT 0526 Collected Jul 27, 1987 in Bexar County by Harry Cliffe

3 specimen(s) available in the Digital Herbarium

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Mirabilis linearis in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Mirabilis linearis in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Mirabilis linearis

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-04-18
Research By: TWC Staff

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