marvel of peru
Mirabilis jalapa
USDA zones9 to 11
SunHandles full sun to partial sun
WaterHandles moderate or wet soil
Size2 to 3 feet tall2 to 3 feet wide
- Habit
- Erect
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn
- Bloom color
- Yellow, pink, purple, variegated, white
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Marvel of peru (Mirabilis jalapa) is a perennial for borders, containers, cottage gardens, and pollinator gardens. It grows outdoors year-round in USDA zone 9 and warmer, down to about 20°F (-7°C). In colder areas, grow it as a houseplant or bring it indoors for winter. This plant likes full or part sun and average to wet, sandy, loamy, or chalky soil. Its fragrant flowers come in yellow, pink, purple, white, and variegated colors, and they attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and birds. Deer and rabbits tend to browse other plants first. Blooms appear from spring through autumn.
Pairs well with Black and Blue anise-scented sage, Cherub angel's trumpet, and Standing Ovation little bluestem.
Native range
Mexico to Central America.