Garden plant ID needed please.

[Andrew]

I think I planted some seeds last year and forgot about them. This plant has come up in our garden and we have no idea what it is. Can anyone help?

[jayhunter]

Flower looks like Nicotina but the plant shape looks all wrong. Leaves look too small as well. Nice plant though, how tall is it?

[jtibbetts]

Hi Andrew, its Mirabilis jalapa, The Marvel of Peru. they come in pink, red and yellow as well

[Andrew]

Do these mirabilis grow from seed as I am trying to figure how it got there. I planted some wildflower seeds last year with nothing coming through and all of a sudden we have this three foot plant!

[Adey Baker]

Andrew

They can be grown rather like Dahlias - i.e. from seed (yes they do seed down in situ) or by digging up the tuber in the autumn and storing it cool (frost-free) and dry.

In a mild winter you can get away with leaving them in the ground. The shot below is of Mirabilis in my front garden which I had left in the soil over the last winter. Although they got a good frosting and waterlogging they seem to have survived all right!

The flowers seem to open fully at night so they should be OK for moths - I've seen a few around them though nothing too spectacular.

Mine were all from a packet of seeds. originally.

Adey

[Andrew]

You have a wonderful 'bush' going there and thanks for further confirming the answers and answering my questions.

You confirmed it by saying the flowers open fully at night, ours does too. The flowers slowly close in the morning so when I am up I can see full flowers.

[Fuchsia]

Thanks Adey (and Andrew for starting this),
I have these all over the place and am pleased to know what they are. Does anyone know if they attract anything in particular - the flowers opening at night I haven't noticed anything visiting them.
Thanks
Jen :-)

[Nina P]

I am just getting the hang of the new format, so I've missed this thread until now, but I can inform you that there are many names for this: Mirabilis, Marvel of Peru, Jalapa, or the Americans call this 4'O'Clock, indicating the time the flowers open, these are usually pollenated by moths, and can survive some winters but are best treated as Dahlias, lifted after the stalks have been frosted and stored in, either dry sand or in a pot of potting compost, laid on the side in a frost free place, and watered lightly in the early spring. I reccommend changing the compost in Feb/March, so you can see if the tubers have lost too much moisture. If very shrivvelled try leaving them in tepid water for 6-8 hours, then if they plump up plant them in fresh compost, keep in the frost free zone for about 2-3 months, harden off and you should get a good early show next year. Nina.

[Andrew]

Sadly when we came back from our brief trip to Cornwall the frost had got to the plant and we have cut it back more in hope than anything for next year.

[Nina P]

Andrew, if you follow my tip you will have it next summer too, I first came across this plant when I was just 7 years old, and had pictures taken with my brother and sisters hiding in them when playing "hide and seek" great plants they were. I also planted them as seed this year, but very late so I have brought them indoors where they flowered and set seed, much to my surprise! Nina.

[jayhunter]

I take it that Adey's bush is a number of separate plants growing together, to seem like the same bush but with different coloured flowers?

[Nina P]

Absolutely Bob, planted like that makes for a really grand display! Nina

[Adey Baker]

Bob

Yes, they started off as seperate plants but they're so vigourous they just grow together (smothering everything else as well if you plant them too close)

Adey