Mirabilis coccinea

Red four o'clock

Family: Nyctaginaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3

Red four o'clock is a rare (CNPS 2B.3) California native perennial found in the Desert Mountains in dry, rocky slopes and washes at elevations of 1,300 to 1,800 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces bright red flowers in funnel-shaped perianths 15 to 20 millimeters long. Growing with ascending to erect stems up to 60 centimeters tall, the plant is glaucous and glabrous with a distinctive appearance. Its leaves are linear, fleshy, and nearly sessile, measuring 2 to 12 centimeters long and glabrous. The fruit is club-shaped, approximately 5 millimeters long, with 5 distinct ribs that are coarsely wrinkled between fine hairs.

Habitat: Dry, rocky slopes, washes

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: 1300-1800 m

Bioregions: DMtns

California counties: San Bernardino

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.