Plant Finder

Other Names:  Four-O-Clock

Description:

A very fast growing plant that is covered with eye-popping bright purple blooms from mid summer to frost; attractive blue-green foliage makes a nice mound; great for beds, borders, and containers

Ornamental Features

Exotic Dreams Four O'Clock features showy spikes of purple flowers rising above the foliage from mid summer to mid fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its oval leaves remain bluish-green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Exotic Dreams Four O'Clock is an herbaceous annual with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Exotic Dreams Four O'Clock is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Exotic Dreams Four O'Clock will grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 30 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 24 inches apart. This fast-growing annual will normally live for one full growing season, needing replacement the following year.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Exotic Dreams Four O'Clock is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.