Mirabilis laevis – “Wishbone Four O’Clock”

Also Known As: Wishbone Bush
Other Botanical Names: Mirabilis bigelovii, Mirabilis californica (both formerly classified as their own species but now combined into Mirabilis laevis)
Family: Four O’Clock Family (Nyctaginaceae)
Bloom Period: Feb-May
Form: Shrub
Habitat: Washes, gravelly soil and canyons
Leaves: Ovate; opposite
Translation: “Mirabilis” is Latin for “wonderful” or “marvelous”; “laevis” is Latin for “smooth” and I don’t know how that applies to a plant that is entirely covered with tiny hairs; “bigelovii” is John M. Bigelow, MD, (1804-1878), a U.S. botanical collector; “californica” is “Californian.”
Notes: “Wishbone” describes the shapes of the branches. Flowers open late in the afternoon (as the name suggests) and wilt right away if picked.
Native American Uses: The Luiseño took a decoction of the leaves as a purgative. The Mahuna used it for fevers.
Animal Associations: Larval food plant for the White-Lined Sphinx moth.