Four O'Clock in Zone 11a & 11b

Mirabilis jalapa

When to plant four o'clock in zone 11b

Zones 11a and 11b share the same average frost dates in our data, so this page covers both.

Method: Direct sow: Direct-sow outside. Four O'Clock doesn't transplant well, or doesn't need the extra time indoors.

Spacing: about 2 square feet per plant (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 2-3 ft.

Four o'clocks are named for exactly what they do: the trumpet-shaped flowers, pink, red, yellow, white, or speckled bicolor, stay closed most of the day and pop open in late afternoon, releasing a strong sweet fragrance that carries into the evening. It's a low-effort plant to get started, the seed is large and easy to handle, nothing like the dust-fine seed of many other flowers, but it needs plenty of room once it's growing.

How four o'clock fits zone 11's season

Zone 11b is frost-free in this dataset, so frost is not what limits the calendar here. What you can plant, and when, comes down to summer heat and daylength instead.

Good companions

No standout companions recorded yet for Four O'Clock.

Where to buy four o'clock seeds

• Botanical Interests
• True Leaf Market
• Burpee
• High Mowing Organic Seeds

See why we recommend these suppliers →

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Some links on this page also go to other retailers we may earn a commission from as an affiliate, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products with a genuine consensus of positive, independent reviews. See the sources cited on each item.

See it growing

Search YouTube for "growing four o'clock" videos → (a live search, not a hand-picked video; results vary and aren't vetted by us)

← Back to the full zone 11b calendar · Full companion planting guide · Full plant profile · Plan your beds in the Garden Designer →

Pin this for later

Growing Four O'Clock in USDA zone 11b: when to start seeds indoors, when to direct-sow, and when to expect a bloom.

Save to Pinterest