Oenothera biennis (Common Evening Primrose) Unity Grown

Oenothera biennis is a biennial wildflower also called common evening primrose, an upright, yellow-flowering herbaceous plant found throughout most of the contiguous United States. Noted for its showy, bright yellow flowers as well as its occasionally weedy behavior, common evening primrose grows up to 3-5' tall with a branching spread of up to 2-3' wide when in bloom. As a biennial, common evening primrose goes through a two year cycle, growing first as a ground-cover ring of showy red and green foliage the first year, and producing profuse, gorgeous yellow blooms from early summer to early fall in its second year, attracting butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and other pollinators, and attracting gardeners with their unique, bright flowers that open in the evening before closing again in the morning. After their two-year cycle finishes, evening primrose blooms will die back, but not before scattering its profuse, tiny seeds (that also serve to attract birds!) and starting the process all over.

Commonly found in prairies, ditches, and disturbed areas, Oenothera biennis tolerates a wide array of site conditions: performing best in full sun and medium-moist soils, common evening primrose also tolerates partial shade, drought, poor and rocky sites, dry and sndy soils, deer and rabbit damage, drought, and even black walnut contaminated soils. This wide tolerance of environmental conditions makes Oenothera biennis almost as hardy as it is beautiful, and it makes for a lovely addition to low borders, small flower beds, pollinator gardens, and container plantings. Though short-lived in maintained landscapes, its scattered seed will easily germinate in sites where the soil is disturbed with some regularity.