← Bedfellow

Common Evening Primrose

Oenothera biennis

Common evening primrose is a tall biennial whose lemon-yellow flowers open at evening for moths; its seeds are a favorite winter food of goldfinches. A pioneer of open, disturbed ground. The root is cooked like salsify, and young shoots and flowers are eaten, though the shoots are best used sparingly — accounts differ on how much is safe.

Family

Onagraceae

Type

wildflower

Lifespan

biennial

Height

3–5 ft

Spacing

2–3 ft apart

Light

sun, part shade, shade

Soil moisture

dry, moist

Soil pH

acidic, neutral

Bloom

July, August, September

Bloom colors

yellow

Wildlife value

songbirds

Caterpillar hosts

~16 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

naturalizing

Native states

AL, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY