Oenothera/Evening Primrose

Oenothera

Evening Primrose, Onagraceae

How to say:ee-no-THEE-ruh

Description:
Evening primroses are plants of meadows,roadsides and prairies.They have lovely saucer-shaped flowers with 4 wide,overlapping petals and a prominent stigma(female reproductive structure).The weakly upright, often succulent stems bear lance-shaped,foilage and elongated terminal clusters of flowers.Plants grow from a thick taproot or fibrous roots.

Types:
Oenothera caespitosa-Tufted Evening Primrose
O. fruticosa-Sundrops
O.missouriesis-Ozark Sundrops
O.speciosa-Showy Evening Primrose
O.teragona-Common Sundrops

How to
drought tolerant plants in average to rich,well drained soil in full sun or light shade.Most species spread by low creeping roots to form dense clumps.O.speciosa spreads rapidly in rich soil and may need to bedivided or thinned out each season.Divide out rosettes in early spring or after flowering in late summer.

How to grow by seed:
Type Hardy perennial
Temp should be 15-20°C
Sowing:Average layer vermiculite
Sow spring and summer
Pre chill @ 4°C 4 weeks then 15-20 may aid germination.Should bloom within the first year.

Landscape Uses:
Plant smaller species with catmints and irises.Try in sunny rock garden.