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Native Plant Society of Texas

Narrowleaf Four O'Clock

Mirabilis linearis

Other common name(s):

Four O'Clock, Linearleaf Four O'Clock

Family:

Acanthaceae (Acanthus Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

This map uses data from the US EPA. EPA  servers have been offline frequently so maps may not display. We are working on a solution.

Central Great Plains, Chihuahuan Deserts, Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, High Plains, Southern Texas Plains, Southwestern Tablelands, Texas Blackland Prairies
Broken Red Plains, Limestone Plains, Red Prairie
Chihuahuan Basins and Playas, Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands, Chihuahuan Montane Woodlands, Low Mountains and Bajadas, Stockton Plateau
Carbonate Cross Timbers, Eastern Cross Timbers, Grand Prairie, Limestone Cut Plain, Western Cross Timbers
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, Northern Prairie Outliers, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland, Llano Uplift, Semiarid Edwards Plateau
Southern Subhumid Gulf Coastal Prairies
Arid Llano Estacado, Canadian/Cimarron High Plains, Llano Estacado, Rolling Sand Plains, Shinnery Sands
Northern Nueces Alluvial Plains, Rio Grande Floodplain and Terraces, Semiarid Edwards Bajada, Texas-Tamaulipan Thornscrub
Canadian/Cimarron Breaks, Caprock Canyons Badlands Breaks, Flat Tablelands and Valleys, Semiarid Canadian Breaks
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Herbaceous

Height

2.5
to
4
ft.

Spread

2.5
to
4
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Sand, Rocky, Well Drained, Dry

Light Requirement

Sun

Water Requirement

Low

Native Habitat

Grassland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

White, Pink, Purple

Bloom Season

Spring, Summer

Seasonal Interest

Nectar, Flowers

Wildlife Benefit

Nectar Insects

Maintenance

Resilient plant requiring little maintenance. Flowers open in the shade of the late afternoon. Native habitat: roadsides, disturbed areas; desert scrub, foothills, pinyon-juniper, ponderosa, spruce-fir forests. Propagation: seed.

Comments

Blooms May-September. Stems sprawling to erect with a narrow growth pattern. Slender leaves are grey-green in color; powdery-like surface; thin to fleshy, thick, and succulent. Sparse to very leafy and bushy branched. Produces showy flowers with five split lobes, usually 3 to a stem. The fruit is olive is brown, narrowly obovate and tapering at both ends.
Previous Scientific Name(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

References

About the Region

Fall Symposium 2025 Logo - Teach for the Future

Salado, the location of our Fall 2025 Symposium, lies at the intersection of two ecoregions: the Edwards Plateau (Limestone Cut Plain) and Blackland Prairie (Northern Blackland Prairie).

The Edwards Plateau area is also called the Hill Country; however, this general term covers a much larger area extending farther north. Spring-fed creeks are found throughout the region; deep limestone canyons, rivers, and lakes (reservoirs) are common. Ashe juniper is perhaps the most common woody species found throughout the region. Additional woody species include various species of oak, with live oak (Quercus fusiformis) being the most common. Sycamores (Platanus occidentalis) and bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) border waterways. This area is well known for its spring wildflower displays, though they may be viewed in spring, late summer, and fall, as well. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, average annual rainfall in the Edwards Plateau ranges from 15 to 34 inches.

The Blackland Prairie extends from the Red River south to San Antonio, bordered on the west by the Edwards Plateau and the Cross Timbers, and on the east by the Post Oak Savannah. Annual rainfall averages 30 to 40 inches, with higher averages to the east. This region is dominated by prairie species. The most common grass species include little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) in the uplands and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) in the riparian areas and drainages. Common herbaceous flowering plants include salvias, penstemons, and silphiums. This area has suffered greatly from overgrazing and agricultural use. Few intact areas remain, though many of the plants can be found along county roadsides throughout the region.

Our fall Symposium host chapter, the Tonkawa Chapter, includes both of these ecoregions.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason