Showy Evening Primrose is native to SW USA but has naturalized to many other parts of the country. It spreads by stoloniferous rootstocks and seeds forming a groundcover. The large flowers are cup-shaped and showy, usually opening in the evening or cloudy days although in some areas of the county they open during the day. It is drought tolerant and grows in any soil types except poor drainage ones. It will go dormant if it receives no moisture in summer. Flowers best in sun but will grow in shade as a groundcover but not flower. It is best used in naturalized areas as it can take over a perennial garden. Planting it in poor, rocky, infertile soil will encourage it to grow in a more well-behaved clump.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
5 - Groundcover
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Creeping; Erect; Spreading
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Oblanceolate
Leaf margin
Entire; Lobed; Undulate
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
2-4 inch long and .75-1.5 inches wide green pubescent leaves are narrow lanceolate to oblanceolate on short stems or sessile. Margins can be wavy, toothed or lobed.
Flower color
Pink; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Head
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
1-2 inch 4 petaled pink to white cup-shaped flowers with pink to red veins and yellow throats are borne solitary in the leaf axils on hair stems. They can either be day or evening blooming depending on what part of the country. Generally, evening blooming in NC.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
1/2 inch oval 4-angled capsules that contain numerous seeds.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
The light green stems are terete, covered with appressed hairs and erect to sprawling
AL , AR , AZ , CA , CT , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MO , MS , NC , NE , NM , OH , OK , PA , SC , TN , TX , UT , VA , WV
Wildlife value
Butterflies and bees are attracted to the nectar in the flowers. Members of the genus Oenothera support the following specialized bees: Melissodes (Apomelissodes) fimbriatus and Lasioglossum (Sphecodogastra) oenotherae. Seeds attract birds and small mammals.
Attracts
Butterflies; Pollinators; Specialized Bees
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Flowers
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Capsule
Edibility
Cook as greens or in salads, best flavor when collected before flowering