Ornamental Flower
Limelight Four O'clock is a luminous heirloom flower that transforms gardens from summer through fall with its striking chartreuse-tinged blooms that open in the late afternoon, a trait that earned the species its common name. This cultivar thrives in hardiness zones 8 through 8, reaching a compact 24 to 36 inches tall and wide, making it equally at home in borders, containers, or sunny beds. From seed to first flowers takes roughly 84 days, rewarding patient gardeners with weeks of continuous color that pollinators find irresistible, all while shrugging off heat and drought once established.
Full Sun
Moderate
8-8
36in H x 24in W
Perennial
High
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The real magic of Limelight is in its name: these flowers literally open as the day cools, creating an evening display that feels almost theatrical. The lime-yellow coloring sets this cultivar apart from the more common magenta and pink varieties, offering gardeners a chance to experiment with unexpected color combinations. Its deep tuberose roots make it remarkably drought tolerant once mature, meaning less fussy watering and more reliable performance in challenging sites. Beyond flowers, the plant itself is virtually pest and disease-free, requiring minimal intervention from gardeners.
Four O'clock flowers are grown primarily for ornamental display in gardens and landscapes, valued for their reliable summer and fall color, evening-opening habit, and ability to attract butterflies and other pollinators to the garden. They're often used in mixed borders, cottage garden settings, and as accent plantings in sunny spots where their lime-yellow blooms provide a distinctive color note among more conventional flower choices.
Start seeds indoors in pots 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost, keeping the soil at 70°F. Seedlings will emerge in 5 to 30 days depending on conditions. Harden off transplants gradually before moving them to the garden.
Transplant outdoors after your last spring frost date when soil has warmed. Space seedlings according to their ultimate mature size of 24 to 36 inches.
Direct sow is recommended. Plant seeds outdoors 1 week after your last spring frost, sowing at a depth of 1/4 to 1/2 inch directly where you want the plants to grow.
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