The shimmering lime-green of Limelight four-o'-clocks lights up a garden with its magenta blossoms.

The Marvel-of-Peru has gotten a lot showier thanks to Limelight. Limelight is a breakthrough for the old-fashioned four-o’-clock. Common names like Marvel-of-Peru and Beauty-of-the-Night speak volumes about the virtues of this plant. Botanically, it is known as Mirabilis jalapa and indeed is native to Peru.

But Limelight is definitely different with its compact, 3-foot stature and vivid lime-green foliage. Lime-green continues to be the trendy color in the garden, and this plant will rival any in the market.

Those of us raised in the South have experienced the four-o’-clock as a tried-and-true perennial. If you live north of zone 8, you have choices of treating the plant as an annual like you would a Joseph’s Coat or simply digging up tubers that have formed below ground for planting the next season.

The lime-green foliage is so mesmerizing you really would love the plant even if it didn’t bloom — but it does, not precisely at 4 o’clock but within an hour or two. The showy magenta blossoms emit a tantalizing fragrance that makes the family want to sit on the porch and talk awhile, but mostly just to cherish the botanical experience. This performance lasts almost all night and runs from summer through fall.

For the best blooms, plant them in full sun in well-drained, fertile soil. I have seen many fine plantings in morning sun and afternoon shade as well. Many recommend this as a flower that will perform in poor soils. This is certainly the case, though the height will be diminished. Space the plants, or thin vigorous seedlings, to about 3 feet.

If you are growing it as a perennial, remove frozen foliage in the fall and add a layer of mulch in colder regions. Since the four-o’-clock reseeds with vigor, each spring make it a point to remove the ones you do not want. A little supplemental water during prolonged dry periods keeps the plant looking crisp, though it is very drought tolerant.

The leaf texture and tubular flower form allows it to fit into the tropical landscape as easily as the cottage garden. Grow in front of bananas or upright elephant ears, and use in combination with hibiscus or allamandas in the tropical garden.