Mirabilis jalapa Marvel Of Peru PFAF Plant Database

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Mirabilis jalapa - L.

Common Name

Marvel Of Peru

Family

Nyctaginaceae

Synonyms

Known Hazards

The seeds and the rots are reported to cause digestive disturbances[274].

Habitats

Not known

Range

S. America - Peru. Naturalized in France and possibly other places in Europe.

Edibility Rating

Medicinal Rating

Care

Summary

Physical Characteristics

Mirabilis jalapa is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in).
It is hardy to zone 8 and is frost tender. It is in flower from Jul to October, and the seeds ripen from Aug to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.

Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.


http://www.hear.org/starr/

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:GTBacchus

Habitats
Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Leaves. Edible Uses: Colouring; Condiment. Tender young leaves - cooked as a vegetable[105, 183, 272]. An emergency food, only eaten when all else fails[177]. An edible crimson dye is obtained from the flowers[46, 61, 105, 177]. It is used for colouring cakes and jellies[183]. The seed is crushed and used as a pepper substitute[105, 177, 183].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Diuretic; Purgative; Vulnerary.

The root is aphrodisiac, diuretic and purgative. It is used in the treatment of dropsy[46, 61, 154, 218, 240]. A paste of the root is applied as a poultice to treat scabies and muscular swellings[272]. The juice of the root is used in the treatment of diarrhoea, indigestion and fevers[272]. The powdered root, mixed with corn flour (Zea mays) is baked and used in the treatment of menstrual disorders[272]. The leaves are diuretic[272]. They are used to reduce inflammation[240]. A decoction of them is used to treat abscesses[218]. The leaf juice is used to treat wounds[218].

Other Uses
Cosmetic; Dye. The powdered seed is used as a cosmetic[46, 61].

Cultivation details

Succeeds in almost any ordinary garden soil[1]. Prefers a fertile well-drained soil in full sun or part day shade[200]. This species is not very hardy in Britain. The top growth is cut back by frost but the tuber survives the winter outdoors if the temperature does not fall much below -5°c, a good mulch would be beneficial[200]. Tubers can be lifted and stored over winter in a cool frost free place in the same way that dahlia tubers are stored[1, 200]. The marvel of Peru is usually grown as a half-hardy annual in temperate zones, it flowers freely in its first year[200]. Plants also self-sow freely in warmer areas (these seedlings can be easily transplanted) and they can become a weed in such situations due to their deep rooting habit[200]. This species was cultivated as a medicinal plant by the Aztecs prior to the Spanish conqust[274]. The flowers are sweetly scented and do not open until the afternoon[233]. The young growth is particularly susceptible to aphis infestation[200]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[233].

Propagation
Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer, after the last expected frosts. The seed remains viable for several years[196]. Division in spring as the plant comes into growth[200].

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Expert comment

Author
L.

Botanical References
200

Links / References

[1]F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956

Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[46]Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants.

An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[61]Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man.

Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[105]Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.

The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[154]Ewart. A. J. Flora of Victoria.

A flora of eastern Australia, it is rather short on information that is useful to the plant project.

[177]Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption.

An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[183]Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.

Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[196]Popenoe. H. et al Lost Crops of the Incas

An excellent book. Very readable, with lots of information and good pictures of some lesser known food plants of S. America.

[200]Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.

Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[218]Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China

Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.

[233]Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants

A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

[240]Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).

Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.

[272]Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal

Excellent book, covering over 1,500 species of useful plants from Nepal together with information on the geography and peoples of Nepal. Good descriptions of the plants with terse notes on their uses.

[274]Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas

An excellent flora, which is also available on-line.

Readers comment

Elizabeth H.
John	Mon Sep 4 2006

I have grown these for the first time this year just to the north of Bristol - from a 10cent pack of seed I bought in the US 3 years ago. It is a plant I have never seen before and attracts quite a lot of interest from people who visit my 1/4 acre. I only have three colours and sadly not any of the variagated ones others describe. I am hoping to transpant them all to just behind a low wall at the front of my propertey early next spring. Thanks for the good information on your site. John.

Elizabeth H.
elle	Sat May 5 2007

I grew it last year in London, UK from seed donated by a friend. I am not convinced that it requires moist soil as it seemed happy enough during a heatwave when the clay soil was baked hard and I was doing very little supplementary watering for my borders. I only had one colour so far. I saved seed, but I have found that self-sown volunteer seedlings have sprung up where it was planted.

Elizabeth H.
K M Harriss	Sun Apr 22 2007

You do not say how to grow Mirabilis jalapa from a tuber - only from seed. I would like to know how deep to plant these tubers and when and how long it will take before any shoots appear. Thank you.

Elizabeth H.
ghulam abbas mangi	Mon Sep 17 2007

so nice plant . iam doing reserch about marvel of peru here in pakistan . still iam student of pharm D second year, and trying to study more about mira,jalapa. plz it is requested to ur houner that kindly send me information about this plant . my e-mail : abbas_mangi1@yahoo.co.uk thanks ghulam abbas mangi

Elizabeth H.
Bill White (Oxfordshire, England)	Sun Mar 2 2008

I bought some Mirabilis Jalapa bulbs. (My problem is very elementary). The packet contained no instructions on which way up they should be planted. The bulbs are about 5 inches (12 cm) long. They are about 3/4 long at one end, and the other end tapers almost to a point. My neighbour, who knows a great deal about gardening generally, is also unsure.

Elizabeth H.
	Tue Jul 15 2008

its very easy to grow this plant since it can adapt to any temperature and climate.

Elizabeth H.
Quinike Sukirwan	Mon Aug 4 2008

I planted Mirabilis sp. from tuber, about 4 inches deep in late May, and in July, they already are big (2 ft x 2 ft), and has lots of flower. Just wondering if they could be perennial in USDA Zone 5, or just annual?

Elizabeth H.
Bert Wilson	Wed Dec 31 2008

I live in Dumbarton in West Scotland, our climate tends to be somewhat wet but quite warm in summer, but can be very cold and wet in winter. I bought Mirabilis tubers when we visited Keukenhof in Holland in Spring 2008 and planted them 4" deep and two-to-a-12" pot in May, started them off in my heated greenhouse and then moved pots outside to a sunny spot in mid-June when the shoots was up. They flowered well until late September when I cut them back and lifted tubers for drying off and storing overwinter as dahlia tubers. Will plant them up same again in April 2009 in two thirds good compost and one third grit plus good dose of fish, blood and bone fertiliser.

Elizabeth H.
Steve Lewis	Thu Apr 9 2009

Tubers now available in many garden centres in Southern Ontario (Canada). Grows well in standing planters and group plantings in beds as far north as Zone 5 (Western Muskoka to shores of Lake Huron near Parry Sound). As with most summer bulbs in this regions, best results when plants are started indoors (heated greenhouse) in April and moved outside after last frost. I planted four tubers in a 55cm container with mixture of moss, artificial soil and well-rotted compost. May be grown as an annual or lift and store with Dahlias before first killing frost. Likes well-drained soil and lots of sun. Shelter from high winds.

Lily D.
	Nov 29 2010 12:00AM

I have grown this plant for many years but this time I planted a row in heavy clay and all through the hot dry weather I never once watered them. I now have a wonderful display of yellow mirabilis which I intend to leave in all winter - I also have red ones all over the garden which have seeded themselves - a wonderful plant which saves on watering. Jannice Price, Leicestershire Friday 27th August 2010

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