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Mystery Red/Yellow trumpet-like flower

by Sandy
(Mosinee, WI)

This plant is about 12" high and is growing in partial sun in zone 4 (central Wisconsin). Its blooms look like trumpets, and they will open and close seemingly at random. What's strange is at the base of each plant (I have two) there is a walnut-sized hard "ball" protruding from the ground. When I first bought them from the greenhouse they were in unmarked pots, the clerk didn't know what they were, and I bought them thinking they might be datura -- not! I can email you the picture of the "ball" if you like.

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Mystery Red/Yellow trumpet-like flower

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4 O'Clock
by: Anonymous

You have yourself a nice 4 O'clock plant. I live in Florida and my yard is full of them. Your specimen is a cross pollinated variety, bearing the colors of both parent plants.

It is called 4 O'clock because it closes as the sun hits it in the morning hours, and reopens about 4:oo in the evening, when the temps drop, and releases it's wonderful fragrance. My yard is so
fragrant in the evenings with the odor of the
Jasmines and 4'Oclocks, it is like heaven.

This plant has a tuber that can be lifted in the late fall, and kept in a cool dark place, and replanted in the early spring, in areas where the ground freezes hard. Here in the south, they just die back, and come again all by themselves.
The older plants, with the larger tubers (some bigger than both my fist) will grow rapidly, and bloom profusly in a mater of a month or two.

They come in dark pink, yellow, white, and a brillant magenta. When freely cross pollinated
they will appear to be randomly striped with several different colors of the parent plant colors. I have seen them grow up to 5 ft. here. The little black balls that you are seeing is the seeds, whick self sow quite rapidly. Pass them along to your friends and share the joy !!
Your question-Annual or Perennial?
by: Ferne

These grow very easily from seed, as mentioned earlier, so you can treat it like an easy to grow annual...although it is a tender perennial which wouldn't survive the winter outside in your area. You will likely have many volunteer seedlings next year...just check around the area where the plant grew.

P.S. A search for this or any other plant by common or latin name with google or any other search engine will bring up a ton of information on any plant you name.
Mystery Red/Yellow Trumpet-like flower
by: Sandy

The "ball" at the base is actually the size of a walnut. I now know it's a 4 o-clock, just don't know whether it's annual or perennial. I'll bring it in for the winter and see what happens. Thanks everybody for your responses!
Hmmm
by: Dirty Kneez Nursery

Well if you have seen medium sized round black balls approximately the size of your pinky thumb-nail(seeds), it's a good possibility that Ferne is right about it being a 4-o'clock. If so, I believe it is an annual. Good luck. Shell
mystery flower
by: Mary Martin

It looks a little like a plant I grew this year from seed called Lantara. I like to try something different every year and I tried this. Mine is pink, but otherwise it looks a lot like it.
Four O'Clocks
by: Ferne, Kamloops, B.C.

Hi Sandy

These are Mirabilis, also known as Four O'Clocks or Marvel of Peru. They are know as Four O'Clocks because they open late in the day. They are easy to grow for late summer flowers in a spot where you can appreciate them later in the day. Usually get thick and bushy to 2 or 3 feet tall. They come in a number of often broken colour combinations. Generally treated as annuals but they do form tubers, which I am assuming is what you are seeing as a "ball" at the base of the plant.

Some information taken from the internet:

"May be a noxious weed or invasive" (I wouldn't worry about this much....they are commonly grown, unless you hate things that reseed.)
"This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds
Flowers are fragrant
Drought-tolerant; suitable for xeriscaping
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater
Self-sows freely; deadhead if you do not want volunteer seedlings next season."

OR you can place bags over the seed heads to catch the seeds as they are ripening and plant them in a different spot next year.
Red/yellow trumpet-like flower
by: Judy

This could be million bells. I had an unknown which looked like yours. I didn't plant it this year. I had million bells last year. Apparently it reseededed in other areas, which was really surprising since it's an annual, and we do have cold winters in the Northeast.

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