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Desert Wishbone-bush
( Mirabilis laevis )
Mirabilis laevis
More Photos at CalPhotos
More Info at Jepson eFlora
Calflora
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13 Nurseries Carry This Plant
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About Desert Wishbone-bush (Mirabilis laevis)
13 Nurseries Carry This Plant
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Mirabilis laevis
is a recently redefined species of flowering plant in the Nyctaginaceae (Four O'clock) family, which now includes the common California chaparral plant known as wishbone bush (formerly
Mirabilis californica
) and several very similar relatives previously classified as separate species. There are now five recognized varieties, all occurring in the southern half of the state. As is common in this family, the flowers open in afternoon and morning, closing during the middle of the day. In the garden it is best used as ground cover. However, its summer dormancy should be considered.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Perennial herb
Size
1 ft tall
8 ft wide
Form
Spreading
Dormancy
Summer Semi-Deciduous
Flower Color
Lavender, Purple, White
Flowering Season
Winter, Spring
Wildlife Supported
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 1
confirmed
, 7
likely
* )
SHOW ALL
Lithariapteryx jubarella
Lithariapteryx jubarella
*
White-lined Sphinx
Hyles lineata
Hyles lineata
*
Hawaiian Beet Webworm
Spoladea recurvalis
Spoladea recurvalis
*
Somber Carpet
Disclisioprocta stellata
Disclisioprocta stellata
*
Archirhoe neomexicana
Archirhoe neomexicana
*
Embola powelli
Embola powelli
*
Lithariapteryx abroniaeella
Lithariapteryx abroniaeella
Landscaping Information
Sun
Part Shade, Full Sun
Moisture
Very Low
Summer Irrigation
Max 1x / month once established
Nurseries
Carried by 13
Ease of Care
Moderately Easy
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 25° F
Soil Drainage
Medium
Soil Description
Variable soil depending on the location and setting. Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.0
Common uses
Groundcovers
Companion Plants
Has many companions depending on location and setting, including Manzanita (
Arctostaphylos sp.
),
Coyote Brush
(
Baccharis pilularis
),
Ceanothus sp.
,
Tree Poppy
(
Dendromecon rigida
), Flannelbush (
Fremontodendron sp.
),
Toyon
(
Heteromeles arbutifolia
),
California Juniper
(
Juniperus californica
),
Hollyleaf Cherry
(
Prunus ilicifolia
), and Oak (
Quercus sp.
)
Maintenance
May be sheared in late summer to control its spread
Natural Setting
Site Type
Many settings including coastal, mountains, and deserts
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 2.9" - 36.5", Summer Precipitation: 0.14" - 3.04", Coldest Month: 29.6" - 63.6", Hottest Month: 56.7" - 88.8", Humidity: 0.86" - 42.79", Elevation: -100" - 8177"
Alternative Names
Botanical Names
: Mirabilis californica
Common Names
: California Four O'clock, Wishbone Bush
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Desert Wishbone-bush
Mirabilis laevis
Sources include:
Wikipedia
. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the
California Consortia of Herbaria
, Sunset information provided by
Jepson Flora Project
. Propogation from seed information provided by the
Santa Barbara Botanical Garden
from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include
CalPhotos
,
Wikimedia Commons
, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include
Calflora
,
CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online
,
Jepson Flora Project
,
Las Pilitas
,
Theodore Payne
,
Tree of Life
,
The Xerces Society
, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from
PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University
, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.
Links:
Jepson eFlora Taxon Page
CalPhotos
Wikipedia
Calflora
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