Common Evening Primrose
Oenothera biennis
- Native to:
- Canada, Mexico, Prince Edward I., United States
Christian Ferrer
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Onagraceae
- Genus:
- Oenothera
- Species:
- Oenothera biennis
- USDA Symbol:
- OEBI
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Biennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 150 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun,Part Shade,Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- jun,jul,aug,sep
- Bloom Colors:
- yellow
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
- Caterpillars:
- ★★☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★☆☆☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
- Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:
- ★★★☆☆ Native pollen specialist bee species supported by this genus (NWF)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Reported Fauna Sightings
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, moths, birds
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fragrant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts from basal rosette after fire; colonizes disturbed and burned areas readily.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- sandy, well-drained, nutrient-poor soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- thrives in disturbed areas and poor soils
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–90 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–30 days
- Notes:
- Seeds require light for germination; surface sow and do not cover. Cold stratification improves germination rates.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: Seeds are cold stratified. Mix the seeds with an equal amount of moist perlite or vermiculite. Put mixture into a sealed container and proceed with 3 months of moist cold stratification in a refrigerator or cold garage. Cold store until planted (up to 3 years).
Establishment: Seeds are collected by hand from locally native plants within the eastern central Upper Peninsula. The plant is found in non forested areas of North America, dry, sandy roadsides, clearings, disturbed ground, fields, dunes, beaches. It is a stout, erect sometimes branched biennial up to 2 meters tall, often with purplish stems produced from the previous years' rosette. Yellow flowers are borne on dense terminal elongated spikes.
Source: npn.rngr.net
ORGHPS Germination Guide: Sow @ 20C. Germinates within 3 months. Requires light / surface sow (fine seed).