Plant Profile: Mirabilis jalapa

Mirabilis jalapa can be cultivated as an annual throughout North Carolina, although it tends to thrive as a perennial in warm, sheltered coastal gardens. Mature plants develop sizable, tuberous roots resembling potatoes, and their aromatic flowers bloom in the late afternoon, typically around four or five o'clock, attracting pollinators such as hummingbirds and moths.

Ingestion of this plant results in only mild toxicity, while any skin irritation experienced is generally minor and lasts just a few minutes.