Southwest Desert Flora

Scientific Name: Mirabilis laevis
Common Name: Desert Wishbone-bush
Also Called:
Family: Nyctaginaceae, Four O’clock Family
Synonyms: (Hesperonia retrorsa, Mirabilis bigelovii, Mirabilis bigelovii var. retrorsa)
Status: Native
Duration: Perennial.
Size: Up to 2 feet or more.
Growth Form: Forb/herb, subshrub; straggling weak-stemmed, sticky or viscid, pilose or villous herbage.
Leaves: Green; deciduous, simple, pubescent, cordate to broadly ovate.
Flower Color: White to pale pink
Flowering Season: March to October.
Elevation: Up to 3,000 feet.

Habitat Preferences: Rocky slopes.

Recorded Range: Mirabilis laevis is found primarily in the southwest United States in AZ, CA, NV, OR, UT. In Arizona it is found mostly in the western ²⁄₃ of the state.

North America & US County Distribution Map for Mirabilis laevis.

U.S. Weed Information: No information available.
Invasive/Noxious Weed Information: No information available.
Wetland Indicator: No information available.
Threatened/Endangered Information: No information available.

Genus Information: 29 species more or less in Mirabilis throughout North America. 14 species in AZ and TX, 13 species in New Mexico and 12 species in California.

Mirabilis laevis has 5 varieties;
Mirabilis laevis var. cedrosensis, California Four O'clock (CA),
Mirabilis laevis var. crassifolia, California Four O'clock (CA),
Mirabilis laevis var. laevis, Desert Wishbone-bush (CA),
Mirabilis laevis var. retrorsa, Wishbone-bush (AZ, CA, NV, OR, UT),
Mirabilis laevis var. villosa, Wishbone-bush (AZ, CA, NV).

The Plant List includes 224 scientific plant names of species rank for the genus Mirabilis. Of these 63 are accepted species names.

Comments: Desert Wishbone-bush is common where found in Arizona and now includes Mirabilis californica and several other related species are now included as varieties.

Also see in Southwest Desert Flora; Scarlet Four O'clock, Mirabilis coccinea, Colorado Four O'clock, Mirabilis multiflora and Dwarf Four O'clock, Mirabilis pumila.