Mirabilis: planting and care in open ground, 20 best varieties, cultivation and propagation

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.

Description of Mirabilis

In Russia, mirabilis is common as an annual because it does not tolerate temperatures below -5 °C. In the southern regions, where there is no frost, perennials are found.

This is an original plant, otherwise called “night beauty,” with many small, bright, gramophone-shaped flowers that bloom in the dark. It opens its petals in the evening and closes with the first rays of the sun. The sweet aroma of the tropics at this time attracts insects that help pollination.

Erect or pressed to the ground stems, sticky and fluffy, grow as a bush up to 80 cm in diameter. Tubers like fingers emerge from the long main root. There the plant stores a supply of substances it needs during periods of drought and cold weather. The leaves are paired, oblong, bright green, velvety or smooth. The sharp tip and clearly defined light vein make it look like a heart. At the top of the stem, cymose inflorescences are formed from 5-6 funnel-shaped flowers up to 3 cm in diameter with 3-6 stamens.

Self-pollinating mirabilis produces fruits in autumn with one seed, hard, smooth or pubescent, obovate in shape.

Tall types of flowers are used to plant a hedge that looks lush and bright.

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 and 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.

Popular varieties

There are several popular plant varieties that are most often planted in flower beds.

Iolanta

A low, compact, spherical bush that grows up to fifty centimeters. Iolanta has multi-colored flowers, on the petals of which you can see colored strokes and stripes. Mirabilis flowering begins in mid-July and continues until October.

Red lollipop

A wide and rounded shrub, intended for planting and further growing outdoors. The main stem of the Red Lollipop grows up to 80-95 cm. The leaves of the variety are green and oval in shape. The diameter of each flower is 6-8 centimeters.

Elvira

A round, medium-sized bush with erect stems growing up to 70 cm in height. The leaf blades are oval, have a sharp and oblong tip. The inflorescences of this mirabilis are not very large; they have wavy petals of red color with a purple tint.

T Time Red

This is a frost-resistant variety that copes with nighttime drops in temperature. Ti Time Red shrubs are distinguished by dense foliage and oval shape. The variety has powerful and tall stems that do not need staking. T Time Red blooms in summer.

T Time Fomyula Miksche

A spherical bush 0.8 meters high. In spring, oblong-shaped leaves form on its stems. Their surface is painted a dark green color. Inflorescences form in early May and bloom within two and a half weeks .

Marbles

These are unique flowers with two-color petals. Bushes of the Marbles variety are considered tall, since the height of the main stem is 80-85 centimeters. The stems are colored red, their surface is woody and durable. Marbles bloom in spring and summer.

Serenade

Serenade is considered a common variety of mirabilis, which is grown to decorate flower beds. The petals of this variety can be colored lilac, yellow, red and white. Among the advantages of Serenade are resistance to frost and known fungal pathologies.

Marble

This is a flower with brightly colored petals, on the surface of which there are thin darkish veins. The marble variety is classified as a medium-sized variety of mirabilis. Its flowering begins in the twentieth of July and ends in August.

Mathis

Many people plant Matis to decorate gardens and lawns. The main distinctive feature of this variety is the rich color palette of flowers. They can be painted bright pink, red, crimson, yellowish and even lilac.

Dragon

When decorating ridges and flower beds, you can plant the Drakosha flower. This is a low-growing variety that can grow up to forty centimeters in open ground. Drakosha's flowers are medium in size, their diameter does not exceed 5-6 cm. They bloom in the evening, after 15-16 hours.

Cavalier

This is one of the most common varieties of Mirabilis. Cavalier buds are simultaneously painted in two colors - yellow and orange. The plant, like many other varieties, blooms in the summer. The flowers open only in the evening, after sunset.

White lollipop

A medium-sized seedling, the height of which, when grown outdoors, is 65-70 centimeters. White Candy has branched and powerful shoots with oval greenish foliage. At the end of spring, flowers with a diameter of 6-7 cm appear on mirabilis bushes. They begin to bloom on June 10-20.

Yellow lollipop

This is a flowering shrub with branched shoots on which there are many elongated leaves. Yellow lollipop gets its name from the color of its petals, which have a golden hue. Mirabilis flower buds open in the evening and close in the early morning.

Purple lollipop

This is one of the tallest varieties, whose bushes grow up to a meter. The stems of Purple Candy cane are thick and have a smooth surface. The leaves are oval, with a green surface. The petals of the flower are wavy and purple.

Grapefruit champagne

This variety has rounded-elongated bushes about sixty-five centimeters high. Grapefruit Champagne has a woody stem with erect side shoots. The flowers are reddish and emit a pleasant scent when blooming.

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.

Description of the night beauty

A herbaceous plant native to Mexico.
In the cold climatic conditions of Russia, this flower can be grown as an annual, since its roots in the ground will not tolerate even slight frosts.
It has a compact powerful bush.
Depending on the variety and climatic conditions, it grows up to 50-120 cm in height.
It has powerful club-shaped swollen roots, thanks to which it is resistant to drought.
Gramophone-shaped inflorescences.
Flowers are varied in color. They can be white, orange, purple, etc. Varieties with two-color flowers, as well as stripes and specks, are often found.
The flower does not have a corolla, but the inflorescence is the calyx, which in other plants is green and small in size.
The diameter of the inflorescences reaches 3-5 cm.
The flowers bloom at night or in cloudy weather.
The rich aroma attracts butterflies and moths.
Each flower blooms for several hours, after which it curls into a tube and withers.
The fruits of mirabilis are wrinkled dark brown capsules, each containing one large seed.
Blooms from early June until the first frost.
Propagated by seeds, dividing the bush and cuttings.

Important! The flower is easy to care for, so it is recommended for growing by novice gardeners.

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.

Description

Flower of the Niktaginaceae family. Mirabilis is a bushy, compact plant. The most common bushes are about 70-80 cm high. Less often you can see a meter-long Mirabilis. The stems are quite dense and straight. The leaves are elongated, the root looks like a carrot. The flowers resemble funnels. They can be orange or yellow, and there are also crimson and lilac. You can see the variety of colors of Mirabilis in the photo of flowers. In addition, there are spotted, multi-colored and striped ones.

The plant transforms with the onset of night. When the flowers bloom, they begin to emit a pleasant aroma that attracts insects. Mirabilis can bloom until November. The aroma is light and unobtrusive, discernible at close range from the flowers. After flowering, dark brown seeds are formed. Their germination reaches 3 years.

Mixed varieties

The peculiarity of Mirabilis is in its structure. The flower has no corolla. The flower itself is actually a calyx. In other plants it is green, but in Mirabilis there is a calyx instead of a corolla. Another interesting feature is that the surface of the leaves is sticky.

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.

The crop is resistant to pest attacks. Therefore, flower growers do not have problems combating parasites.

Care

In general, Mirabilis is an unpretentious plant. They only need timely watering, loosening the soil and removing weeds.

Organization of watering

The night beauty loves regular watering. Water should not be poured directly onto the flowers; the stream must be directed directly to the root. You need to water every day. If this is not possible, then you can organize an irrigation system. To do this, the following steps are required:

Take a plastic bottle. The best option is a five-liter container.
Make holes in the bottom to allow water to drain.
Dig a shallow hole next to the plant so that a 5-liter bottle of water can fit into it.
Place a plastic container in the hole.

This will allow the water to gradually flow from the bottle directly to the roots. This method allows you to keep the soil moist for a long time.

Drip irrigation

Fertilizing

As for fertilizing, they are not required. The plant blooms profusely even without them. You cannot add fresh organic matter to the soil! This can lead to the death of the entire bush. In order for the flowering to be more magnificent and the leaves to become juicy, you can use mineral fertilizer. 2-3 times will be quite enough during the growing season.

Loosening the soil

The night beauty loves loose soil. It is recommended to loosen the rows and remove weeds in a timely manner. Loose soil helps saturate the roots with oxygen and retain the right amount of moisture in the soil.

Loosening the soil

Reproduction

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.

Growing

Cultivation of a flower occurs in its initial stages.

For 1 year you will need to care for the plant, carrying out the most common manipulations. During cultivation of the plant, you will need to monitor the soil, and several details such as climate and air.

The correct way to overwinter is to move the flower indoors if it grows in pots. Mirabilis grows very quickly in pots; additional influence must be exerted on growing the plant outdoors. When cold weather sets in, it is best to cover the plant with a thick film.

How to prepare Mirabilis for wintering

Overwintering of Mirabilis is a sequential process. This process is necessary to keep this plant safe and sound.

When organizing wintering, it is necessary to stretch the film purchased at a hardware or hardware store.
You need to place pegs around the periphery, or scatter stones along with bricks. However, if the seller says that mirabilis does not tolerate cold, then there is no need to try to apply the process of stretching the film.
Mirabilis is very suitable for 1 year of growth.

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;
marigold;
nigella;
bell;
lavender;
lobularia.

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:

Caring for Mirabilis at home

In room conditions, seed germination is very high even after 3 years of storage and makes it possible to preserve the variety you like.

To grow mirabilis at home you need the following:

seeds soaked for 24 hours in a damp cloth;
slightly acidic soil, turf and river sand or fine gravel in a ratio of 1:1:2;
a handful of ash to neutralize alkali;
boxes with soil or plastic cups for separate germination of seeds;
thinning shoots after 2 weeks.

Young plants with strong leaves can be transplanted into indoor pots 60-90 days after germination. Further care for indoor mirabilis species is similar to ordinary garden ones.

Other methods of reproduction

There are other ways to propagate Mirabilis, in particular, by dividing the bush and its rhizomes. They are practiced in this way, provided that the plant is used as a perennial garden or home crop. You can divide the bush from overgrown mature plantings that are more than 3 years old. In open ground, mirabilis is divided into two parts using a bayonet shovel along with the root system. Next, the cuttings are planted in new permanent places and cared for like adult plants. At home, the bush is removed from the pot and the rhizome is divided with a sharp knife, then planted in new soil mixtures.

Another more complex method is cuttings. In order to propagate the plant, you will need a semi-lignified shoot with buds of renewed growth. They are cut off, then the cut site is treated with crushed coal and dried at room temperature for several hours. Before rooting, you can moisten the cuttings in a rooting agent or add a few drops of it to water. Root the shoots in a substrate based on sand and peat. You can use regular water, which needs to be changed daily.