pruning mirabilis multiflora

Mirabilis multiflora is a pretty aggresive plant. I have planted only a couple plants. The first one was a little over twelve years ago. We got four or five truck loads of soil that was removed from a ditch the began to be clogged by the sediment that came in the irrigation water out of the canyon. We built three berms with this soil. That is where we began planting our natives. We planted one Mirabilis in the month of May, and with a little water, it grew to the diameter of five feet. We collect seed. The next year there were a few more plants and now there are many. They do have a problem. They will cover up every small plant that is close by. They grow over the top of large rocks. So when you plant one, give it plenty of room. There are times that you will have to prune it. You can cut as much off as you like. I would not recommend shearing, but just cut some branches off. The photo shows one of our plants that has plenty of room.

More Mountain Lover

Pictured are the some seed pods of the Mountain Lover. There are two pods centered near the bottom. There are two more pods just above the horizontal branch a little right of center. Each pod has one seed. I have been watching these for nearly a month now and have yet to see a ripe seed.