Plant Data

Names and Taxonomy

  • Common Names: Bigelow's Desert 4 O'clock, Wishbone Bush
  • Synonyms: Hesperonia aspera, Hesperonia bigelovii, Mirabilis aspera, Mirabilis bigelovii, Mirabilis bigelovii var. aspera, Mirabilis bigelovii var. bigelovii
  • Family: Nyctaginaceae (Four O'clock)
  • Genus Information: 21 species in US, 4 in NV, 12 in CA

Habit and Size

  • Duration: perennial
  • Habit: shrub
  • Shape: spreading
  • Size: up to 12 inches
  • Stem: green and hairy

Leaves

  • Color: green and hairy
  • Shape: lanceolate to ovate
  • Edge: smooth
  • Arrangement: opposite
  • Leaf Retention: evergreen

Flowers and Fruit

  • Sex: monoecious
  • Flower Color: white
  • Flower Size: 1 inch
  • Number of Petals: tubular
  • Bloom: while this plant flowers year-round, it blooms most vigorously in the spring
  • Fruit: anthocarp, accessory

Habitat and Growing Conditions

  • Water Use: low
  • Light: full sun
  • Soil: sandy
  • Habitat: desert flats, rocky slopes and canyons, desert brush lands

Distribution

  • Distribution: AZ, CA, NV, UT
  • Seen: Dantes Overlook, Death Valley
  • Elevation: 0-7500 feet

Photographs

Bigelow's Desert 4 O'clock (Mirabilis laevis var. villosa)

UT

Bigelow's Desert 4 O'clock (Mirabilis laevis var. villosa)

UT