I have three volunteer's growing in a neglected garden we have. I haven't been able to get enythign to succesfulyl grow here so I kindof forgot about it. Now there's three of these, two on our side and one on the public lot right on the other side of our fence. Anyone know what it is?
I took a picture of the biggest one which hasn't bloomed, and a picture of the flower from one of the other ones.
Plant
[img]https://i34.tinypic.com/2505t6t.jpg[/img]
Flower
[img]https://i33.tinypic.com/2hibhgn.jpg[/img]
What tipped me to four o'clocks was the bud of the unopened flower. We had these flowers in Berkeley.
They grew in front of a west-facing solid wood fence: very hot, dry conditions (for Berkeley): 80s a lot, 90s some--remember the reflected & retained heat from the fence--and I had to remember to water them from over the fence, because the hose wasn't long enough to reach *around* the fence to the flowers.
I love four o'clocks and have no place to put them at this house. But one of my neighbors has some, and I look at them all the time!
Cynthia
They grew in front of a west-facing solid wood fence: very hot, dry conditions (for Berkeley): 80s a lot, 90s some--remember the reflected & retained heat from the fence--and I had to remember to water them from over the fence, because the hose wasn't long enough to reach *around* the fence to the flowers.
I love four o'clocks and have no place to put them at this house. But one of my neighbors has some, and I look at them all the time!
Cynthia
I love them, too. I think I'll have to plant some next year. Four-o'clocks, nasturtiums and snapdragons were the first flowers I ever grew, way back when I was a little kid. I seem to have always had nasturtiums, but the four-o'clocks and snapdragons kinda fell by the wayside. I'll revive them again. 
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The seeds develop one per flower and are at first pale green, then get streaked with brown, and eventually turn all black or brown. By this time, they shrink some in the cupped bracts and loosely rattle around. In downward facing bracts, the seeds may fall out. To collect the seeds, simply tip the bract cup over your other hand. Sometimes you have to pull or squeeze open the bract to free the seed. If you pull the plant towards you and accidentally let go, the seeds will go flying from the sling-shot effect. 
Long time ago in Japan, my grandmother told me these flowers are called "Oshiroi-bana" or "white face powder flower". She had a HUGE clump of them in her garden, and showed me how if you crush the seeds, they're filled with white powder. I don't know if they actually used the powder as white face powder or if they just look like it.
Long time ago in Japan, my grandmother told me these flowers are called "Oshiroi-bana" or "white face powder flower". She had a HUGE clump of them in her garden, and showed me how if you crush the seeds, they're filled with white powder. I don't know if they actually used the powder as white face powder or if they just look like it.
