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Onagraceae
Missouri Evening Primrose
Oenothera macrocarpa
Evening gold and prairie splendor.
- Family
- Onagraceae
- Genus
- Oenothera
- Native to
- central United States
- Bloom season
- Late Spring, Summer
- Type
- herbaceous perennial
- Height
- 15–30 cm
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- well-drained, rocky, calcareous
- Water
- low; drought-tolerant
- Hardiness
- 3–8
- Lifespan
- perennial; long-lived
Did you know
- The flowers are enormous for the plant's size — up to 12 cm across on a plant barely 30 cm tall.
- Each bloom opens in the evening in a dramatic unfurling that takes only seconds and can be watched in real time.
- The species name 'macrocarpa' means 'large fruit' — the winged seed pods are conspicuously oversized.
- It grows naturally on limestone bluffs and rocky prairies of Missouri, Oklahoma, and Kansas.
- Native Americans used the roots as a food source and the leaves as a poultice for bruises.
Color meanings
Yellow
the generous glow of dusk