FOUR O'CLOCK
Mirabilis multiflora

Showy four o'clocks are perennial plants that die back to their roots each year. It has funnel shaped flowers that bloom from April to September,
especially after rains. The fruit is a small dark seed that is often held in the papery floral cup, long after the blossoms have faded.
This plant blooms in the late afternoon and are open throughout the night
or can open in the morning on cloudy days. The flowers release
a musky aroma several hours after opening. This attracts hawkmoths,
the primary pollinator of these flowers. In the morning, bees may linger in
the floral tube, but they have little to do with pollination.
Native Americans have used the plant for dyes or medicinal properties,
both in prehistoric times and modern day. The Navajos boiled the
flowers to make a light brown or purple color for dying wool.
The Hopis used the roots of older plants to make a
blood-strengthening tea for pregnant women.
Teas were also made to treat colic, eye infections, muscle soreness,
body swellings, rheumatism and indigestion. The Acoma and Laguna pueblo tribes dried the leaves for smoking material,
and some say the plant has a sedative property.