Join / Renew / Gift Donate Shop Member Portal Language

Search
npsot_bluebonnet_full_color

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, Subshrub

Height

2.5
to
4
ft.

Spread

2.5
to
4
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Dry, Rocky, Sand, Well Drained

Light Requirement

Sun

Water Requirement

Low

Native Habitat

Desert, Disturbed Areas, Grassland, Shrubland, Woodland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Pink, Purple, White

Bloom Season

Spring, Summer

Seasonal Interest

Flowers, Nectar

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.

Description

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

Learn about how to propagate Texas native plants.

Material Treatment Method Collection References
Seed No Treatment Use a well-draining soil mix in a container or a designated area in your garden. Ensure the soil is loose and airy to facilitate root growth. Plant the seeds about 1/4 inch deep in the soil. Space them approximately 2 inches apart to allow ample growth space. After sowing, water the soil gently but thoroughly to ensure the seeds are moist. Avoid over-watering as this can displace the seeds or lead to rot. Keep the soil consistently moist and watch for seedlings to emerge. This usually happens within 2-3 weeks. Provide partial sunlight until the seedlings are well established. Choose healthy seeds from a mature narrowleaf four o'clock plant. Ensure the seeds are dry and free from any signs of mold or damage. https://www.picturethisai.com/care/propagate/Mirabilis_linearis.html

About the Region

2026 Fall Symposium Logo

This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason