4’oclocks in S California

My FIL brought back some 4’oclock seeds from Italy. I planted them along the house and every single one is growing! I’ve read they’re perennial from tubers but in So Cal, do they remain bushes with leaves year round?

In the Bay Area, they don't remain bushy year round, they die to the ground and sprout back up late winter/early spring. I considered them a noxious weed, difficult to eradicate. They reseed prolifically, and grow back from the tubers. But if you like them, enjoy.

Stacy, thank you for that warning. My seedlings are in a small planting bed against the house. A concrete curb about 6” deep partitions this area; on the other side is decomposed granite. I wouldn’t mind them reseeding in the bed but beyond would be a problem.  Do you anticipate the tubers growing deeper than 6 inches, and sprawling under the curb? I could catch stray seeds that fall onto the DG.

Jane - that will likely be fine. I just had a neighbor who liked to plant invasives because he thought it would make his yard easier to maintain, and maybe it was for him. But I spent twenty years battling with his plant choices. The tubers don't go deep, the seeds are large and prolific, kind of like borage.