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Onagraceae
Evening Primrose
Oenothera biennis
Memory, eternal love, devoted affection.
- Family
- Onagraceae
- Genus
- Oenothera
- Native to
- Eastern and central North America
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Type
- biennial
- Height
- 60–180 cm
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil
- Well-drained, average to lean
- Water
- Low to moderate
- Hardiness
- 4–9
- Lifespan
- Biennial
Did you know
- Evening primrose flowers open at dusk over the course of just a few minutes — fast enough to watch in real time.
- They're pollinated by night-flying moths and emit a strong sweet fragrance after sundown.
- Evening primrose oil, pressed from the seeds, is rich in gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and is widely sold as a supplement for skin health, hormonal balance, and inflammation.
- Despite the name, evening primrose is not related to true primroses — they're in completely different families.
- The plant was used by Native Americans for over 1,000 years for food, medicine, and as an ingredient in healing poultices.