Beach Peanut, Burrowing Four O’ Clock

This prostrate, herbaceous annual is closely related to the Bougainvillea and the cultivated Four O’ Clock. It has opposite leaves that...Read More are sticky and densely pubescent. The 5 lobed, magenta flowers are solitary in the leaf axils. Once pollinated, the flowers bend down forcing the young fruit underground to ripen. The plant flowers from March through November. Its natural habitat is beach dunes from east central to southwest Florida and Mexico.
Oceanfront development has caused much loss of habitat and this plant is on the Florida Endangered Species list.