Common Evening Primrose
- Name: Common Evening Primrose
- Species: Oenothera biennis
- Family: Onagraceae
- Genus: Oenothera
- Plant Type: Biennial wildflower
- Zones: 3–9
Description:
Common Evening Primrose is a hardy biennial wildflower native to North America. In its first year it forms a leafy rosette; in the second year it sends up tall, branching stems topped with large, lemon-yellow flowers that open in the evening and release a sweet fragrance. Blooming from mid-summer into fall, it attracts night-flying moths, bees, and other pollinators. Well-suited to naturalized areas, pollinator gardens, and sandy or disturbed soils.
Planting Instructions:
- Soil & Location: Prefers full sun and well-drained soil; tolerates poor, sandy, or gravelly sites.
- Sowing: For best germination, cold stratify seeds for 30–60 days. Sow outdoors in late fall or very early spring, or start indoors after stratification.
- Planting Depth & Spacing: Seeds require light to germinate—press onto the surface or cover very lightly (≈1/16"). Space plants 12–18 inches apart; mature plants can reach 2–5 feet tall.
- Watering: Keep evenly moist during germination and early growth. Once established, plants are quite drought-tolerant.
- Care: Minimal maintenance. Allow some seed heads to mature if self-seeding is desired, or deadhead to limit spread. Typically blooms in the second year, then reseeds.
A resilient, evening-blooming classic that adds height, fragrance, and pollinator activity to sunny borders and wild spaces.