Night flower mirabilis: everything you need to know about varieties, planting and care. Mirabilis flower: photos and care tips When to sow a night beauty in open ground

There are approximately 60 species of wild mirabilis flowers found in the Americas. These annual and perennial plants are characterized by a wide variety of flower colors, attracting the eye from noon to the next morning.

Varieties and types

(aka night beauty, dawn) is a perennial cultivated as an annual plant. Its bushes have an elongated, rounded shape, grow up to 80 cm in height and are characterized by tuberous roots.

The shoots are densely branched, reddish in color, and overgrown with wood from below. The diameter of the funnel-shaped flowers is 2.5 cm, and the color can be white, yellow, orange, crimson, purple, red, or even two colors. The pleasant aroma of opened flowers flows from 16:00 until the early morning hours.

The night beauty has a truly amazing feature, befitting its Latin name - one plant can form flowers of different shades, so you can buy, for example, Mirabilis tricolor with white, yellow and pink flowers. The usual color for this species is pink, alternating with salmon and crimson shades, but white and yellow flowers are also produced, sometimes even with multi-colored stripes.

The beginning of mirabilis flowering is associated with June and continues until the arrival of frost.

Of all the existing species, only Jalapa is cultivated in gardens, forming the basis of the following varieties:

Varieties

• with 6-cm diameter flowers of white, red, yellow and lilac, dense branches of shoots, blooming in June-October, perfect for outdoor flower beds;

• Variety Mirabilis marbled the flower has bright flowers with dark veins, also of various shades, its lush flowering lasts from July to August and looks great in flower beds and mixborders;

• incorporates a very rich color palette, including yellow, orange, red, pink, crimson, coral and lilac colors, which add high decorative value to any flower garden;

• with fragrant red flowers with a diameter of 4-5 cm, pleasing to the eye from 15 o'clock in the afternoon, it is an excellent option for decorating flower beds and edgings;

• Variety Mirabilis Cavalier with yellow and red bud colors is also mainly used for the purposes described above;

• is a low spherical bush approximately 50 cm high, with medium-sized multi-colored flowers, decorated with stripes and strokes, blooming from the first days of July until the onset of frost;

• - a variety with pure red flowers 5-6 cm in diameter;

• Variety Mirabilis white candy - similar to the previous one, only with white flowers;

• - with yellow flowers;

• - with purple flowers.

Mirabilis planting and care in open ground

In the absence of the likelihood of the last spring cold snap, you can plant mirabilis in open ground in June, both sprouts and seeds. The planting density must be kept moderate, that is, the mutual distance of the plantings must be maintained at 50 cm due to the fact that the bush can grow very tall, depending on the chosen variety.

Planting depth is also important - the seeds should not be on the surface. By filling the planting gaps with other annuals, you can get a very impressive, varied composition. The development of this very heat-loving plant is most significantly affected by lighting, so you should choose a site that is well heated by the sun.

Watering Mirabilis

It is necessary to pay some attention to watering, even taking into account the fact that mirabilis easily copes with a lack of moisture.

Soil for mirabilis

Regarding the soil, it should be noted that loamy or clayey with lime content is considered preferable. Acidic and waterlogged soils are strictly contraindicated, while excessively dry soil can cause a lack of flowering.

Under no circumstances should compost and manure be added to the site, as they can cause irreparable harm to the plant.

Mirabilis transplant

Produced in early spring before flowering begins. This procedure is performed as it grows.

Fertilizer for mirabilis

Zorka planted in the ground does not require fertilizing. It is completely enough to water it once every 30 days with a nutrient mixture based on conventional complex fertilizers during flowering.

Mirabilis pruning

Mirabilis itself has a delightful appearance with a rounded shape, so there is no need for pruning and tying with this ornamental plant.

Large varieties of night beauty are capable of forming uniquely beautiful hedges, and short ones are quite capable of becoming the best available decoration for flower beds or borders.

Mirabilis in winter

With the onset of cold weather, mirabilis tubers become the main interests of gardeners. The fact is that this plant can be preserved in winter if the right conditions are created for its dormancy.

To accomplish this, the tubers need to be carefully dug up in the last days of autumn and placed for the winter in containers filled with sand and peat. The substrate is not intensively moistened, sometimes using sawdust.

Storing planting material is permissible in a cool, dry environment at a temperature of approximately 5℃ - under other conditions, there is a high probability that the tubers will die before spring arrives.

Mirabilis growing from seeds

In areas with a relatively warm climate, mirabilis seeds can be planted directly into the ground. They are collected during the period when they turn black, from the axils of faded and fallen flowers, and the extraction process is quite simple.

Moreover, these seeds germinate well, and, therefore, cannot be ignored by an experienced gardener. The flowering of the dawn, as is already known, is very long; accordingly, the seeds are also collected during a long period of plant activity.

Sowing Mirabilis for seedlings

In cold regions, the recommended method of growing Mirabilis is from seedlings. Getting seedlings is also not a particularly troublesome task. To do this, at the beginning of April, take medium-sized disposable cups and fill them with a substrate, including turf, peat and river sand (there should be a little more sand than other components).

For 1 cup there are no more than 1-2 seeds of the night beauty, since the sprouts of this plant are quite large, and thinning the seedlings is not advisable.

After just a few days, initial signs of seedlings should appear, and after 30-45 days the seedlings will be ready for planting in the open ground.

Diseases and pests

Mirabilis is not a plant susceptible to pests, for which it is highly valued by novice gardeners. Almost the only possible defeats are rust and spotting - eliminated by removing damaged parts followed by treating diseased areas with a fungicide.

As stated above, Mirabilis’ love for warmth is one of the most important points to focus on when growing it. Based on this, it is highly not recommended to plant earlier than June, since you may encounter a short-term return of cold weather, and this may be enough for Mirabilis simply not to emerge.

Zorka loves warmth so much that she can respond to the presence of drafts in the area curled leaves , so it’s better to choose a seat without them.

Mirabilis (mirabilis) is the scientific name of the “Night Beauty” or “Evening Dawn”, well known to gardeners. This beautiful and mysterious flower is valued for its wonderful aroma and ease of care. And the unexpectedness of the color only adds to its originality - a bush strewn with gramophones of different shades looks fantastic. All you need to do is plant several plants of different colors nearby, and next year the mirabilis bush will turn into a small garden.

Mirabilis - a flower from a fairy tale

Mirabilis - description and features

The genus Mirabilis includes almost 50 plant species. Among them there are also annuals, but perennials are more common. In its homeland, the bush lives for 4–5 years, but in the Russian climate it is cultivated as a one-year plant. As a rule, the night beauty does not survive the winter cold even under cover.

This is interesting. Mirabilis is translated from Latin as “amazing”, “extraordinary” and, I must say, fully justifies the name - the flower is truly unusual.

The stems are straight or creeping, often pubescent, sticky in places, quickly overgrown with many side shoots and form a spreading bush with a diameter of 50–80 cm. Opposite bright green, elegant, elongated leaves grow on the branches. The central root of the plant is taprooted and long. Small tubers with a supply of nutrients develop around it.

Another feature of Mirabilis is night flowering. Delicate, silky gramophones open after lunch and close with the first rays of the sun. For this reason the flower is called the beauty of the night.

Until the morning, mirabilis fills everything around with a strong and sweet aroma, creating the atmosphere of a tropical night.

The structure of the flower itself is amazing. In fact, there is none. And what we take for a flower is actually a calyx, smoothly flowing into a narrow tube with petals. In the depths of the corolla there is sweet nectar, which hummingbirds and large moths like to feast on in their homeland.

Mirabilis is a self-pollinating plant. The process of pollen transfer occurs during the day, in closed flowers. At the end of autumn, spherical fruits with a keel, containing one seed each, ripen in their place.

Popular varieties of mirabilis

Despite its southern origin and unusual appearance, zorka or night beauty is successfully grown in temperate and northern regions of Russia. True, only one species has adapted to the cold climate - the exotic Jalapa mirabilis. It includes several varieties and is distinguished by its unpretentiousness and resistance to weather conditions. Blooms from June until frost.

The most beautiful varieties of Mirabilis Jalapa:

• Tea Time Red. The bush has the shape of a ball, 80 cm high. The flowers are medium-sized, bright pink, 2.5–3 cm in diameter, wavy at the ends. The variety has good resistance to temperature changes and blooms profusely and for a long time. Recommended for cold regions;
• Iolanta is a rounded bush 40–50 cm high. The flowers are 3 cm in diameter and stand out for their unusual coloring - the petals are densely covered with stripes in the form of strokes. Blooms from June until frost. Resistant to weather conditions, weak aroma;
• Tea Time Formula Mixture. Variegated variety Tea Time Red - flowers are half white, half pink. Very fragrant;
• Elvira is a spreading shrub up to a meter high. It is distinguished by the size of its flowers - 4–5 cm in circumference and its strong aroma. The color is white and pink, with streaks. The plant is suitable for warm regions.

Advice. In the night garden, varieties with light shades of flowers look more advantageous. In the early morning, plants with a rich palette will show themselves in all their glory. Well, variegated varieties are ideal for foregrounds, where the play of the pattern is clearly visible.

Mirabilis propagation

How to grow a night beauty flower? On hot continents, mirabilis reproduces annually, growing from overwintered rhizomes. In the more severe climate of Russia and Europe, the plant dies from frost, so here it is cultivated as an annual.

You can get new mirabilis flowers in different ways:

• seeds;
• annual planting of overwintered rhizomes;
• green cuttings;
• dividing the bush.

The simplest method is seed propagation. In the southern regions of the country, the night beauty reproduces every year by self-sowing, sprouting from fallen bolls.

Growing from seeds

Mirabilis seeds are large and durable. They can be purchased at a flower shop or collected in the fall from a strong, healthy plant. Store planting material at room temperature.

Sowing a night beauty in open ground

Growing mirabilis from seeds is possible by planting in open ground. True, flowering in this case will be delayed, but the plants will be strong and healthy.

Sowing begins in April, as soon as the snow melts and the earth warms up. The seeds are placed in furrows at a distance of 12–15 cm, watered and sprinkled with soil. A mini-greenhouse is installed on top to protect the sprouts from cold weather.

Advice. To avoid the death of young plants, it is recommended to sow them in a greenhouse, additionally covering them with lutrasil.

Despite the thick skin, the seeds germinate quickly. Within a month, the bushes are ready to be planted in a permanent place.

Sowing Mirabilis for seedlings

Growing mirabilis from seeds at home begins with preparing a soil mixture. The soil is made from equal parts of sand, peat and garden soil. The resulting composition is poured into deep pots, compacted and watered with warm water. Place a seed in each container, deepening it 2 cm.

It is better to start sowing in February-March. Grown plants can be taken to the greenhouse and kept there until warm days arrive. In this case, the seedlings will be early and strong, and the bushes planted in the ground will immediately begin to bloom.

For better germination of planting material, they resort to the following tricks:

• the hard skin is sawed off or otherwise damaged;
• Before planting, seeds are soaked in a growth stimulator for 10–12 hours;
• containers with planted mirabilis are placed in a warm and humid place with a temperature of 22–24 ° C.

In such comfortable conditions, the first shoots appear within 11–12 days. What 2-week-old mirabilis sprouts look like is shown in the photo.

Seedling care

Proper watering is very important for mirabilis. If there is excessive moisture, the seedlings become infected with blackleg and die completely within 2–3 days. We should not forget about feeding young plants. The first time the plantings are fertilized at the moment the real leaf appears, the second time - after 14 days. Any flower or all-purpose fertilizer will do.

In the evening, Mirabilis seedlings are illuminated. The total photoperiod should be 10–12 hours per day. On sunny days, plantings are covered with a sheet of white paper or lutrasil to prevent the seedlings from burning.

In May, young plants are taken into the greenhouse or placed outside on sunny days, and in June they are planted in the ground.

Vegetative propagation

Mirabilis bushes that you especially like can be propagated by tubers. The method is quite simple and allows you to preserve all the varietal characteristics of the mother plant.

In the fall, before frost sets in, the tubers are carefully dug up, cleared of soil and placed in a container with peat or sawdust. Planting material is stored in the basement at a temperature of +3... +5° C, occasionally moistening the soil surface. In spring, the tubers are brought out into the light, watered and germinated.

If necessary, the night beauty is propagated by green cuttings. Early in the morning, the selected shoots are broken off and dried in the shade for a couple of hours. Then the cut site is treated with heteroauxin and the cutting is placed in light soil. The top of the planting is covered with film to maintain moisture. Root growth takes 3–4 weeks.

Advice. You can root cuttings in plain water. Several grains of Kornevin are dissolved in the liquid and shoots are lowered into it by 2–3 cm.

Adult, well-developed mirabilis flowers can be propagated by dividing the rhizome. The selected plant is carefully cut in half with a shovel and planted as independent bushes.

Planting Mirabilis

Planting mirabilis in open ground and caring for it is very simple. The plant is not demanding and grows well in garden conditions. Only a few things can destroy it - hypothermia and stagnation of water.

When is the best time to plant

To plant mirabilis under the open sky, choose the time when the danger of night cold snaps has disappeared. In different regions, this period varies from mid-May to the first ten days of June. The place for the night beauty is dry and sunny, preferably on a hill.

Landing rules

Mirabilis grows well in light, well-drained soils with low acidity. If the soil is acidic, it is recommended to add lime in advance.

Landing rules:

1. The area chosen for the plants is cleared of weeds, dug up and holes made;
2. The seedlings are taken out of the pots and placed in the ground with a lump of earth;
3. A pinch of flower or universal fertilizer is also placed there;
4. The hole is covered with earth and watered;
5. Plantings are mulched with peat or sawdust.

It is better to plant plants in the evening or on a cloudy day. In hot weather, young bushes provide shade.

Advice. When planting, you should take into account that mirabilis grows greatly by the end of the growing season, so the night beauty flower should be planted as in the photo, maintaining a distance of 45–50 cm between the bushes.

The height of the plant depends on the variety and can vary from 30 to 100 cm. This should also be taken into account when choosing a place for planting.

Features of caring for Mirabilis

The evening dawn flower loves warmth and light. With good watering, it easily tolerates strong midday heat and dry winds, but even slight frosts are destructive for it. The above-ground part dies at -4° C. In warm areas, all greenery is cut off for the winter, and the ground is thickly mulched with dry leaves or spruce branches. In cold regions, covering the plant is pointless; it will die anyway.

Watering and fertilizing

The mirabilis flower is quite resistant to drought, although it will be worse to bloom if there is insufficient moisture. The need for water is determined by the condition of the soil under the flower. In any case, it is better not to top up the plant than to overwater it.

Mirabilis is also undemanding when it comes to feeding. During the summer season, it is enough to fertilize the plant 3-4 times by applying a complex flower product at the root.

Advice. Manure or urea should not be placed under Mirabilis. Nitrogen stimulates green growth to the detriment of flowering.

After watering and fertilizing, the soil under the young plants is loosened and mulched. Mature bushes no longer need this.

Diseases and pests

Mirabilis is rarely affected by diseases; insects also avoid it. In cool, rainy summers, rust or powdery mildew may appear on the leaves. In this case, the bushes are treated with Topaz, Skor or Oksikhom.

Of the pests, only aphids can take root on mirabilis, and then only on a young plant. Spraying with Inta-Vir or Fitoverm will help get rid of it.

And finally, a few secrets of successful cultivation:

• Mirabilis begins to bloom in June. If by the end of the month there are still no buds, it is recommended to increase watering;
• for abundant and long-lasting flowering, the plant is fed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers;
• Mirabilis loves frequent loosening and mulching, but does not tolerate thickening. Therefore, for better flowering, you should thin out the plantings and get rid of weeds.

If all conditions are met, mirabilis will fill the area with an amazing smell, and bright flowers will cover the bush from top to bottom. The night beauty does not require pruning; even without a haircut, it has a neat, spherical shape.

This is interesting. In cloudy weather, the mirabilis will not close and will remain fragrant all day.

Night beauty is successfully used in garden design. Tall plants are planted in the background, creating a green hedge, and borders are decorated with small bushes. Dawn looks especially good with daisies and white gladioli.

Mirabilis is also remarkable because anyone, even a novice gardener, can easily achieve abundant flowering. And once you acquire this amazing plant, you will never part with it.

Mirabilis or “night beauty” is an ornamental crop with tubular flowers from the Niktaginaceae family. The plant originated from the warm mountainous regions of Central and South America. Mirabilis has a strong, erect stem 0.3-1 m high with multiple lateral shoots. The leaves are oval or ovate, with a dark green color.

The name “night beauty” appeared due to the property of the flowers to bloom in the afternoon and remain fragrant throughout the night. Despite its exotic origin, mirabilis can be grown in open ground in a temperate climate without much difficulty. The plant is ideal even for novice gardeners.

Mirabilis: types and varieties for open ground

There are about 60 plant species in nature. Only a few have taken root in temperate latitudes. More often in private plots you can see the Yalapa species, as well as varieties bred from it.

Mirabilis Jalapa (laxative)

A perennial that is cultivated as an annual. In harsh climates, the root system of this plant will not be able to survive wintering in open ground. Therefore, the tubers are dug up after the end of the growing season.

The peculiarity of the culture is that flowers of different shades can bloom on one stem. The Tea Time varietal mix is ​​very popular.

Multifloral

Herbaceous crop up to 0.8 m high. Stems are erect, glabrous, covered with elongated ovate leaves with a smooth surface. Inflorescences appear in May and contain up to 6 buds, which bloom alternately with purple flowers 4-6 cm in diameter.

Round-leaved

A compact bush up to 0.3 m high. The leaves are oval, sticky, 5-7 cm long. Up to 3 purple-pink flowers grow at the tops.

Growing from seeds to seedlings

Mirabilis can be propagated from seeds. In temperate climates, it is better to do this in seedlings. The optimal time for sowing seeds for seedlings is the first half of April. For better germination, it is recommended to first scarify the seeds. To do this, their durable shell is damaged using sandpaper. It is advisable to soak the seeds in water 1-2 days before planting so that they swell.

Soil and container

Prepare peat pots, plastic cups or a deep container for sowing. Mirabilis roots grow inward; they must have enough space in the container to grow. Fill them 3/4 full with neutral or slightly alkaline substrate.

You can buy universal soil in the store or prepare the soil mixture yourself:

• compost (1);
• peat (2);
• turf (2);
• sand (0.5).

It is good to compact the soil in the container and pour it with a fungicide solution for disinfection. Sow the seeds. If these are cups, then several pieces in a container - in grooves. Sprinkle with a 1-1.5 cm layer of soil. Spray on top with a spray bottle. Make a greenhouse and provide a temperature of +18-20 degrees.

Seedling care

The seeds will hatch from the soil in 5-6 days. The shelter must be removed from the seedlings and the containers must be moved to a bright place. After the first pair of leaves appear, the seedlings need to be thinned out. To do this, you need to trim the weakest seedlings with scissors to the soil surface so that they do not interfere with the development of stronger ones. During this period, it is necessary to carry out the first fertilizing with growth-stimulating agents (Sortolin, Krepysh).

Seedlings need watering only after the substrate in the container has completely dried. Upon reaching a height of 10-15 cm, they are transferred to larger pots and the seedlings are fed with mineral fertilizer.

Disembarkation dates

It is necessary to plant the plant in open ground only after it has warmed up well and the threat of frost has passed. It is better to do this in late spring. Seedlings must first be hardened off and accustomed to fresh air. Take the box out to the balcony or garden every day, gradually increasing the time spent there. Immediately before planting, the seedlings should be outside for the whole day.

Plant the plants in a row, keeping a distance of 40-50 cm between the bushes. Dig holes so that the entire root system along with the soil fits in them. Water the seedlings 2 hours before planting so that they can be easily removed from the container. Place the plants in prepared holes, cover with soil, and water well.

Planting seeds in open ground

“Night Beauty” can be sown directly into the ground outside, if climatic conditions permit. They are first scarified, just like seedlings.

Sowing time

In the southern regions, sowing seeds can be done in April, if warm weather has already set in and the earth has warmed up. In more severe conditions, planting dates shift to May, and sometimes to early June.

Choice of location and lighting

Mirabilis loves warmth, so you need to choose a place for planting that is well-warmed by the sun. It is important that there is plenty of space near the flower. Otherwise, it will oppress other plants growing nearby. Mirabilis can be grown in open areas; it is not afraid of drafts. Partial shade or growing under the canopy of tall trees negatively affects growth and can lead to poor or no flowering.

On a note! The soil for the plant is clay or loamy, containing lime. It is recommended to pre-lime acidic soil. It is not advisable to plant mirabilis in lowlands and places with stagnant water.

Landing rules

Dig up the area for sowing seeds and remove weeds. If necessary, add lime and fertilizer. Make grooves, place seeds in them at a distance of 7-8 cm to a depth of 3 cm. Water the crops with warm water, cover with agrofibre or film. When seedlings appear, remove the cover. After the first leaves appear, the plants need to be thinned out, leaving the strongest specimens.

Outdoor care

Growing a “night beauty” on the site does not present any particular difficulties. Care does not require any special skills.

Watering

Despite the fact that mirabilis tolerates drought well, it needs to be watered regularly. During the dry period, watering is carried out 1-3 times a week. If the weather is rainy, then additional watering is not required. After moistening the soil, it must be loosened so that a crust does not form. Avoid stagnant water near the bush.

Feeding and fertilizer

It is recommended to fertilize the soil with wood ash and mineral compounds even before planting. Throughout the summer, mineral fertilizers are additionally applied 2-3 times. Thanks to this, the mirabilis will bloom abundantly and the bush will be more lush. You can add compost or humus. But it is better to avoid fresh organic matter. In the last fertilizing, the amount of nitrogen should be minimal.

Trimming

The mirabilis bush itself has a beautiful rounded shape; additional pruning is not necessary. But if desired, the apical stems can be trimmed to stimulate the growth of side shoots. It is recommended to regularly remove dried and damaged leaves and faded buds. Large plants may require support. It is installed at the planting stage.

Protection from pests and diseases

"Night Beauty" is disease resistant. But if the bush is regularly subjected to waterlogging and stagnation of water, this is fraught with the development of root rot. If the plant is already infected, it is recommended to dig it up and burn it to prevent the disease from spreading to other crops. Water the area where it grew with a fungicide solution (Fundazol).

Less commonly, Mirabilis is affected by powdery mildew and rust. They are also controlled using fungicides.

Mirabilis can be propagated in any way convenient for you. The most common is seed. It is practiced both to plant seeds for seedlings and directly into open soil. In addition to this, they also resort to other methods of flower propagation.

Cuttings

It is rarely used due to its low efficiency and labor intensity. Semi-lignified stems are suitable for propagation. The cutting areas need to be dried, then the cuttings should be placed in a growth stimulator. Transplant into a nutrient substrate. Rooting occurs within 3 weeks. The plant needs to be provided with proper care - regular moistening of the substrate, a temperature of about +24 degrees. When the cuttings have completely taken root, they can be transplanted to a permanent place.

Tubers

Plants grown from tubers develop faster and bloom earlier. The tubers are stored in sawdust or sand in a dark, dry place until spring at a temperature of +5 degrees. Before planting, the tubers need to be moved to a warm place and germinated. The best planting time is May.

In the prepared area, dig a hole so that the tubers fit completely there. Cover them with soil, compact them and water them.

How to preserve tubers for the winter

To plant mirabilis next year from tubers, they can be saved for the winter. To do this, dig up the bush after flowering has finished and the stems have dried. The shoots are cut at a height of 10 cm. Then you need to wrap the tubers in thick paper or put them in a box with sand and sprinkle them. Place in a room with a temperature of +5-7 degrees. The air must be dry. Otherwise, the tubers may rot before spring.

Mirabilis in landscape design

When composing compositions with the “night beauty” in landscape design, its variety (short or tall) is taken into account. Plants up to 1 m high are usually used for planting as hedges. Mirabilis up to 40 cm high look best on ridges and borders. They decorate loggias, terraces, and plant them in flowerpots and deep flowerpots.

Suitable for proximity to Mirabilis:

• chamomile;
• nigella;
• bell;
• lavender;

Since the “night beauty” bush takes up a lot of space, it looks impressive in single plantings.

Mirabilis is a decorative exotic flower that is perfect for planting in open ground. But, despite its whimsicality and beautiful appearance, this crop is not yet a very frequent visitor to personal plots.

Want to know more about growing mirabilis on your property? Watch the video below:

Royal beard, Night beauty, or mirabilis loved by many amateur gardeners. Why did she attract such close attention to her?

With its impartiality, simultaneously with mystery, charm, fragrance and simplicity. All these qualities are really inherent in a flower that is not quite noticeable at first glance, not striking.

During the daytime mirabilis flower It seems completely unnoticeable. Despite its rather large size, there is nothing that would catch everyone's eye. So it could have gone unnoticed if not for its charm that revealed itself with the onset of dusk.

At this time, the flower wakes up, opening its flowers and emitting a wonderful, incomparable aroma that delights those around you throughout the night.

Description and features of the mirabilis flower

This herbaceous plant first appeared in North America. This name is translated from Latin as “amazing”. Photo of Mirabilis delights people, and the flower in reality, with all its nightly openings and aromas, makes people believe in miracles.

But this flower really is something amazing and beautiful. Its lush green bush begins to be decorated with beautiful opening flower buds after 4 pm and it resembles a colorful balloon.

The bush can grow up to 1 m in height. The flowers that open on it are small, about 3-5 cm, but there are so many of them that the color of the buds mixed with the green color of the bush turns the flower into something fantastic and uplifting.

Flowers come in a wide variety of colors. Crimson, red, pink, lilac, yellow, white, orange, purple are the most common colors of mirabilis.

It is interesting that one bush can be decorated with different flowers. Moreover, one flower can have mixed colors. Often you can notice strokes and striped images on them.

It is worth planting close to each other in one year mirabilis night beauty with different colors, as already next year you can see the most unexpected and varied combinations of colors.

But in any color they do not lose their tenderness and brightness. Their long flowering time is also attractive. They delight with their beauty until the onset of the first frost.

Their inflorescences look a little like fragrant tobacco. And the delicate aromas of the plant attract all the moths in the area. Because Mirabilis blooms closer to night, it is classified as nocturnal.

In our area we have to grow the royal beard ourselves. But there are places where these beautiful flowers grow in the wild. You can endlessly admire this beauty in Mexico and South America. In those places there are more than 60 species of mirabilis.

Despite the fact that this flower comes from warm countries and confirms this with all its exotic appearance, growing mirabilis possible in places with temperate climates.

The only difference between flowers that grow spontaneously in southern countries and those that people grow in temperate latitudes is life expectancy.

In its native land, mirabilis can grow for several years, but the harsh weather conditions of Eurasian countries can allow gardeners to grow the same flowers, only annuals, because due to difficult weather conditions, the roots of the flowers freeze in the winter.

These flowers are a joy for all gardeners, including beginners. Mirabilis care simple enough. Therefore, everyone who has seen it in a photo or met it in reality immediately expresses a desire to grow it on their property.

Planting Mirabilis is not something complicated and causing great trouble. Even a novice florist can cope with this task without any problems. No special equipment or skills are required.

The buds of this wonderful flower bloom in the evening. They bloom for just a few hours, after which they fade. Throughout the night, the buds bloom one by one, delighting not only with their beauty, but also with a delicate, pleasant aroma.

After the flower fades, a dark-colored new growth appears in its place. This “box” contains one plant seed. Mirabilis seeds oval, fairly large, dark in color, hard and wrinkled. Their germination is guaranteed for three years.

Planting and propagation of mirabilis

The safest way to grow Night Beauty is from seeds. When to plant mirabilis? In warmer regions they are planted directly into the soil. The most favorable time for this is at the beginning of May, when the ground has already warmed up well and the seeds can germinate in it without much difficulty.

When using a semi-warm greenhouse for planting mirabilis flowers You can choose the first days of April, but such an early time of planting a flower is too risky and does not fully guarantee that it will take root in such conditions.

The most effective way is to grow Royal beard from seeds to seedlings. Mirabilis seedlings grown without much difficulty and hassle. For this, it is enough to take medium-sized disposable cups and fill them with a substrate consisting of turf, peat and river sand.

It is advisable to take a little more sand than peat and turf. One, maximum two mirabilis seeds are planted in one such glass. A larger number of them is not desirable because the plant’s sprouts are quite large in size. Otherwise, the process of thinning seedlings cannot be avoided.

Just a few days are enough for the first signs of flower life to appear. And after 30-45 days, the seedlings are ready to be planted in open ground.

When planting seedlings or sowing seeds of the Night Beauty, you should take into account that the flower bush is rather large. For dwarf varieties, a distance of 25 cm between flowers is sufficient; taller plants require at least 60 cm between them. Otherwise, the flowers will simply be crowded.

Some gardeners soak mirabilis seeds before planting. This speeds up their germination. It happens that, for the sake of experiment, gardeners try to plant these flowers in clay soil mixed with lime.

And this option does not bother this picky flower. The only thing that every gardener should remember when growing mirabilis is that the flower may die in acidic soil. Adding ash to cups with substrate for seedlings of this flower is welcome.

You can also grow it by budding. This method is considered somewhat more complicated than the previous two. To do this, you need to cut the wood cuttings in half and dry the cut area.

Afterwards, the cutting is placed in a solution that stimulates growth and then, with obvious signs of active rooting, is planted in the soil. The planted cuttings need constant watering and careful care.

Water for irrigation should not be cold. If all recommendations are followed, the cutting will take root in a short time and in May is ready for planting in open ground.

Mirabilis can be propagated using tubers. But, as many botanists and gardeners have noticed, this is not the most optimal and effective method of propagating this flower.

It is necessary to dig up the tubers and place them in sand or sawdust. To store these tubers, a temperature of +3+5 degrees is required. If you do everything according to technology, then next year you can plant the tubers in the soil and again get this beautiful flower.

But, as many gardeners have noticed, sometimes due to insufficient moisture and small amounts of nutrients, many tubers simply die.

Mirabilis care

Night beauty is an unpretentious plant that does not require constant attention. The flower is not afraid of drought. There are some nuances that should be remembered when growing it:

The royal beard looks neat and beautiful without any additional processing. It does not require cutting or tying. The bush independently forms a beautiful, rounded shape. Large varieties of this flower make amazingly beautiful hedges. Low ones perfectly decorate flower beds and borders.

Types and varieties of mirabilis

This flower is prone to self-pollination. This means that the gardener may not always know what color the plant will grow next year. But, despite this, scientists divide Mirabilis into separate varieties, six of which are the most popular and beautiful.

Variety Mirabilis Tea Time Red grows to medium size. His bush is like a ball. The stems of the plant are dark green, stretching upward. The flowers have a rich pink color.

This flower tolerates temperature changes well and is not prone to disease. Its flowering continues from summer until the first frost. Perfect for cold regions.

About Mirabilis Iolanthu we can say that it is a small bush, resembling a ball, about 50 cm in height. Its stems also tend upward. The flowers of the plant are medium in size, of different colors and decorated with stripes and strokes. They bloom from early July until the first frost.

Mirabilis Elvira grows up to a meter. It is also a round, spherical bush with dark green, sharp-edged stems. The flowers are brightly colored and about 4 cm in size.

Mirabilis Red Lollipop grows up to 1 m in height, has wide and smooth stems and bright, large flowers up to 6 cm in diameter. It is unpretentious and not prone to illness.

Mirabilis Tea Time Mixture It is distinguished by a wide bush of medium size. It grows up to 90 cm in height. The leaves of the plant are oblong and pointed towards the end. There is nothing on the stems; they are smooth at the bottom. The flowers are small - 2-3 cm in diameter. Their color is variegated, the edges are wavy.

Mirabilis Jalapa has bushes up to 60 cm in height with rich green stems and tubular flowers. They begin to bloom after 16 pm. They bloom until late autumn.

Mirabilis matis It can be grown not only for the purpose of decorating gardens and plots; it has proven itself when grown in flowerpots, on balconies and verandas.

Diseases and pests of mirabilis

In general, a flower can be subject to few diseases, which is why it is valued among amateur flower growers. Rust and spotting disappear from the flower after removing its damaged areas and treating those places with a fungicide.

If the soil is too wet, the roots of the plant may begin to rot. In order to correct the situation, it is enough to temporarily stop watering, remove the affected parts of the flower and also treat the soil with a fungicide. If the soil is too dry, the flower stops blooming and fragrant. All this can be corrected by regulating watering.

Many times those gardeners are right who claim that not only roses are a wonderful decoration for gardens, but also such modest flowers as the Royal Beard.

Without them, without their pleasant, mysterious aroma, the beauty and fantasy created by nature would be incomplete. Buy Mirabilis You can go to any specialty store or order a flower online.

Mirabilis, or, as it is often called, Night Beauty, was previously not a very common plant, but gradually this unusually beautiful flowering shrub is gaining more and more fans. And this is not surprising, because mirabilis can be grown on any soil and in any climate, and during the flowering period its long shoots are covered with numerous bright flowers.

Despite the fact that growing a night beauty does not require special skills from the gardener, and even beginners can cope with this task, certain conditions for the successful cultivation of this unusual flower must still be met. This article is devoted to these growing features.

Mirabilis: description of the flower

Under natural conditions, mirabilis is a perennial flower that is found throughout Mexico, although it is grown in flower beds exclusively as an annual.

The height of adult bushes can reach 80 cm, and the stems branch profusely, becoming covered with large, numerous inflorescences during the flowering period. The buds can be bright red, purple, yellow, violet or white depending on the variety (Figure 1).

A distinctive feature of Mirabilis, for which it received its name Night Beauty, is its unusual flowering time. Unlike other crops, the buds of which open in the morning and close in the evening, the inflorescences of Mirabilis bloom after 4 pm and close completely in the morning. But, if the weather is cloudy, you can enjoy flowering throughout the day.

After flowering is complete, a small box of seeds is formed in place of the wilted buds, which can be collected for growing the crop next year. Moreover, seed germination persists for three years.

Varieties and types

Most often in flower beds you can find the annual Mirabilis jalapa, which is distinguished by a wide variety of hybrids, although recently perennial varieties have begun to become popular (Figure 2).

Among the common annual varieties of night beauty are:

1. Iolanta- a spreading shrub about half a meter high with bright buds that blooms from June until the first autumn frosts.
2. Red lollipop- large variety (height up to 90 cm) with large bright red flowers.
3. Elvira- a medium-sized, but quite spreading hybrid, the inflorescences of which reach 4 cm in diameter.

Also grown in gardens is a round-leaved variety of mirabilis, the height of which does not exceed 30 cm, and the flowers have an unusual purple-pink color.

Planting mirabilis in open ground

The flower can be planted in open ground either as seedlings or by direct sowing of seeds directly onto the garden bed. This is best done in the spring, when the danger of night frosts has passed.

In warm climates, summer planting of night beauty is also practiced, but in this case the flowering period will not be as long as when sowing in spring. Next, we will look at how to properly plant crops in open ground.

Site selection

For mirabilis, choose a warm and well-lit area, since the key point in growing a flower is good lighting, since the culture is highly thermophilic.

It should also be taken into account that the night beauty belongs to fairly aggressive cultures. If you place the flower next to other, not so tall and spreading plants, the mirabilis will simply drown out or displace them from the garden bed. Therefore, it is better to choose a spacious area.

Separate requirements apply to the soil. Preference should be given to beds with clay or loamy soils, and if the soil on your site is acidic, it needs to be additionally limed. It is also undesirable to plant mirabilis in lowlands or in areas with close groundwater, since excess moisture is detrimental to the flower.

Planting methods

There are several ways to grow a night beauty. Most often, the flower is grown by direct sowing of seeds in the ground, but this method is only suitable for cultivating the plant as an annual. If you plan to grow a perennial crop, it is better to use the seedling method, cuttings or propagation by tubers (Figure 3).

To make it easier for you to decide on the method of reproduction, we provide a description of each of them.

Planting seeds through seedlings

To grow high-quality mirabilis seedlings, you need not only to plant them correctly, but also to prepare the seeds. First of all, they need to be scarified, namely, slightly disrupt the integrity of the outer shell with sandpaper. This will help speed up the germination process. Next, the prepared planting material is placed in a thermos with warm water for a day to stimulate germination.

It is better to sow seeds for seedlings in April, using small pots or plastic cups. The soil should be light and neutral. A mixture of two parts peat and turf soil, part humus and half part river sand is best suited for this purpose. You also need to add wood ash to the mixture.

Each cup is filled two-thirds with soil, watered with a fungicide solution on top and several seeds are placed on the surface. Next, they need to be sprinkled with a thin layer of soil and lightly sprayed with water. The containers are placed in a warm room and stored at temperatures up to 20 degrees. The first shoots will appear within a week, after which you need to remove weak seedlings, leaving only the strongest specimens in the pot. After the appearance of the first true leaf, fertilizing is carried out with mineral fertilizers for flower crops.

When the height of each sprout reaches 10-15 cm, they are transplanted into larger containers, fed again and begin to be taken out to the balcony for hardening. When the seedlings become stronger, they can be transplanted to a permanent place in open ground.

Planting in open ground

Much more often, mirabilis is immediately planted in a flowerbed by direct sowing of seeds in open ground. The procedure can be carried out as early as late April or early May, since seed germination is practically unaffected by spring frosts, although young shoots will still need protection.

To sow, you need to dig furrows no more than 3 cm deep, sow the seeds sparsely (the distance between them should be about 8 cm), sprinkle with a thin layer of soil, water and cover with covering material. When the threat of frost passes, the shelter is removed. After this, you need to inspect the seedlings and, if necessary, thin them out.

Planting with tubers

Growing mirabilis from tubers is not often practiced, since this process is much more complicated than conventional cultivation from seeds. However, if you plan to grow the crop as a perennial, it is better to use this method.

Note: Mirabilis tubers can be bought in a store, or dug up from a ready-made bush and placed in a box with sawdust for the winter.

During the winter, the tubers are stored in a cool room with a temperature of no more than +5 degrees, and in early spring they begin to germinate in separate boxes. After the sprouts appear, the tubers can be transplanted into a flower bed.

This method is rarely practiced not only because of the complexity of implementation, but also because during the cold season the tubers often dry out and become unsuitable for cultivation in the spring.

Cuttings

Mirabilis cuttings also cannot be called a popular growing method. The fact is that cuttings of a crop do not always take root, and cultivating a full-fledged crop will require quite a lot of effort. However, we will look at the features of this process.

Semi-lignified shoots are selected as cuttings, the lower cut of which is slightly dried and immersed for several hours in a solution of a root-forming preparation. After this, you can plant in nutrient soil. As a rule, the rooting process takes about 3 weeks, but for this you need to regularly water the sprouts and maintain a stable temperature at +20+24 degrees.

When the cuttings have completely taken root and grown, they can be transplanted into open ground in a previously prepared area.

The advantage of growing a night beauty on the site is that the plant does not require special care. As a rule, for full flowering, regular weeding, loosening and watering is sufficient (Figure 4).

It is important to take into account that mirabilis requires some special conditions that will help to grow not only an annual, but also a perennial shrub.

Illumination and temperature

Mirabilis belongs to southern cultures, so temperature and light are of particular importance for it. It is better to plant the flower in sunny areas, since in the shade the bushes will not be lush, and the buds will be weak, small and not too abundant.

Young mirabilis sprouts are very sensitive to low temperatures and frosts, so in the spring, until warm weather has stabilized, they need to be covered. In summer, such events will not be required. In addition, hybrids have recently appeared that are characterized by increased cold resistance.

Watering

The night beauty flower tolerates a lack of moisture quite well, but excessive watering can be detrimental to the plant. It is important to take into account that you will still have to water the flowers periodically, since it is not recommended to allow the earthen clod to dry out too much.

A complete lack of watering, as well as excessive moisture, can slow down or even stop the development of shrubs, and buds may be completely absent.

Top dressing

For lush and abundant flowering, mirabilis will also require periodic feeding. To do this, it is better to use special fertilizers for flower crops, preferably applying them in liquid form.

Excessive feeding can also negatively affect the condition of plants, so for full growth and development it will be enough to apply liquid fertilizer once a month.

Diseases and pests

Mirabilis is amazingly resistant to diseases and pests. The most common problem is root rot, which can occur with overwatering.

If you find such a plant in your flowerbed, it must be immediately removed and burned, and the soil treated with a fungicide solution. In the future, the watering regime needs to be adjusted to prevent such a problem in the future.

Sometimes mirabilis bushes may show signs of rust or spotting. To combat these fungal diseases, you must first remove all affected parts and then spray with fungicides.

Growing mirabilis on the plot is quite simple, but in order to enjoy long and abundant flowering, you need to take into account some of the characteristics of the crop, and in Figure 5 you can see examples of designing flower beds with this unusual flower.

Experts advise adhering to the following growing characteristics:

1. The first flowers should appear in June. If the bushes have buds, but they do not bloom, reconsider your watering schedule and make it a little more intense.
2. Organic fertilizers cannot be used for feeding, as they can cause rotting of the root system. It is better to use special mineral fertilizers for flowering crops for this purpose.
3. To make the soil more saturated with air and moisture, you need to regularly remove weeds from the garden beds and loosen the soil. It is also advisable to periodically thin out the plantings, removing weak bushes.

You will find more valuable recommendations for growing and storing mirabilis in the video.