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Little evening primrose

Oenothera perennis

Also called Small sundrops, Perennial Evening Primrose, Small Evening Primrose, Sundrops, Perennial Sundrops

Little evening primrose
Photo: Frank Mayfield, CC BY-SA 2.0

Little evening primrose is a small, native North American perennial with yellow, notched four-petalled flowers that open by day. Give it full sun and well-drained soil; it tolerates dry, poor ground.

Family
Onagraceae (Evening-primrose family)
Grows as
Perennial
Light
Full sun, Part shade
Water
Water during establishment, then only in long dry spells; avoid soggy soil.
Soil
Well-drained, sandy, loamy or gravelly soil; tolerates poor and shaly ground.
Temperature
Hardy in cold winters; suited to temperate climates.
How easy
Easy
Native range
C. & E. Canada to C. & E. U.S.A.
Climate
temperate

About

Oenothera perennis is a species of flowering plant in the family Onagraceae and is native to the eastern United States and Canada. Its common names include little evening primrose, small sundrops, and small evening primrose. Its native habitats include shaly slopes, moist or dry fields, pastures and roadsides. Oenothera perennis is a perennial herb. It has yellow flowers that open during the day and close at night. Each flower has four petals that are notched at the tip with veins radiating from the base.

Other Oenothera plants

Common evening primrose · Tufted Evening Primrose · Antioch Dunes evening primrose · Birdcage evening primrose · Beach evening primrose · Hooker's evening primrose · Narrowleaf evening primrose · Redsepal evening primrose · Cutleaf evening primrose · Lindheimer's Beeblossom · Threadleaf evening primrose · Longstem evening primrose

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Oenothera perennis by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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