So far, this thread has mentioned three species: Mirabilis jalapa, M. longiflora and M. multiflora. Over the years I've seen all three in local gardens. M. jalapa self-sows freely here and handsome, robust plants are sometimes seen as a weed in abandoned inner city lots.There is a fourth species which has not been mentioned yet: M. nyctaginea. I know this as a hardy, perennial weed. I first saw this one about fifty years ago growing as a roadside weed in Brooklyn, NY, USA, where it grew abundantly out of cracks in concrete paving. At first glance, it looked to me like some sort of scrawny hellebore. Of the species mentioned here, it is to my eyes the least ornamental. Jim McKenneyMontgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7, where the tall Sinningia (sellovii,'Butter and Cream', 'Scarlett O'Hara' and 'Towering Inferno' are blooming freely. _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/…