Evening Primrose – Wild Weeds

Wild Weeds – Weed of the Month

Evening Primrose

Oenothera biennis

This upright biennial is interesting because it’s flowers open at night rather than during the day like most flowers. The common name originates due to the flower opening style, opening in the evening and closing the following morning when hit by the sun. A biennial plant grows vegetatively in the first year and then flowers and produces seed in the second year. Plants die after seeding but the fruit has up to 100 seeds per capsule therefore this plant naturalizes quickly and easily.

You’ll find this plant in fields, prairies, glades, thickets, waste ground, disturbed sites, and along right-of-ways. Flowers are fertilized at night by flying moths which are attracted to the bright color and mild lemon fragrance.

Learn more about the plant characteristics here: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/oenothera-biennis/

Check out other Wild Weeds Here: http://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/bakerco/tag/wild-weeds/