Four O'Clocks

[Squash Blossom]

With a heavy heart, this morning I dug-up what remained of a bed of hydrangeas I think just died of old age. I always hate discarding any plants but they seemed to be totally exhausted and hadn't been really pretty in several years.

Recently I collected seeds from a neighbor's Four O'Clock plants and think that's probably what I'm going to plant in the flowerbed next spring. They're bright fuschia and what interested me the most is the original plant belonged to my neighbor's grandmother...and my neighbor is 86! They've kept the plant going all these years.

I hadn't thought about Four O'Clocks in many, many years and was really excited when I found out this neighbor had several plants. The fragrance is wonderful, the little flowers are pretty, the foliage was lush and green even after a brutal summer...and that's what I need - survivors!!

Ann

[Gruntfuttock]

I was introduced to them 2 years ago, and are a part of my front garden now.

I just wish someone would put their clocks right though, the flowers seem to open at 8 in the evening and die by morning.

[wishiwere]

@ Gruntfuttock~

My problem is I can never get them to grow. The only we have is the annuals. But I keep trying. I'd love some evening bloomers, as I normally out in the yard till late

[John]

Maybe perennial in Louisiana, not NJ. Here they are most often grown as annuals (technically they are tender perennials, perhaps?) although they form a large tuber-root that can be overwintered here (z 6/7) and replanted in the spring. I cannot vouch for this, as I am unable to overwinter anything very well... possible exceptions of coleus and brugmansia.

[Squash Blossom]

I was introduced to them 2 years ago, and are a part of my front garden now.

I just wish someone would put their clocks right though, the flowers seem to open at 8 in the evening and die by morning.

That is really funny! I never realized plants would change with the time zones. Four O'Clocks bloom pretty darn close to 4:00 P.M. every day in our summers.

I've read a good bit about Four O'Clocks since finding these at my neighbor's house and I never knew about those tubers until recently. I thought they just re-seeded every year and couldn't figure-out why my neighbor kept talking about her mother having transplanted big roots...then I read about the massive tubers.

This morning I collected seeds from yet another friend's plants - white Four O'Clocks. I know there is a bright yellow, too. I like white flowers and the way they look at night.

Ann

[TeresaMy]

My 4 o'clocks are JUST NOW opening. Mind you, I have them by some brugmansia that I keep feeding fertilizer to. Perhaps the ferts have retared the 4 o'clock's flowering?

[Annie]

They are suppose to be annuals here (zone 5), but mine keep comming back. They always have.
Mine do open around 4 or 5 pm. Pretty plants

[Chris_W]

I had a whole row of them alongside the old house on the west side. They opened after they became shaded in the late evening, about 7 to 8 o'clock. On cool, cloudy days they were open almost the entire day. The plants along the foundation came back every year from the same root stock. I always loved the smell of them at night

[Gruntfuttock]

I bought 6 roots at a garden show last year. 5 turned out to be pink and there was one yellow. I don't know if they regrew this year or self seeded. Either way, they are back again.

I saw some multicoloured ones by the roadside in Spain last year, but there were no seeds.

[wishiwere]

Dang, so rather than seed them, I guess I should try to buy plants