Prairie Wildflowers by Don Kurz

Author:Don Kurz [Kurz, Don]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Falcon Guides
Published: 2019-01-23T16:00:00+00:00

COMMON EVENING PRIMROSE

Oenothera biennis

Evening primrose family (Onagraceae)

Description: A biennial with a stout, sometimes hairy stem tinged with red, as are parts of the older leaves, up to 7' tall. The basal leaves are stalked, 4–12" long and 1–2" wide, and irregularly toothed along the margins. The stem leaves are alternate, lance-shaped, pointed at the tip, hairy on both sides, toothed along the margins, and up to 6" long and 2" wide. The flowers are numerous along a long column, with yellow petals that open to 2½" across. The 4 yellow petals have a shallow notch at the end. There are 8 yellow stamens.

Bloom Season: Summer–fall

Habitat/Range: Common to abundant in disturbed areas in prairies, pastures, and fields, and along streams and roadsides; found throughout the prairie region.

Comments: The flowers open in the evening and close by midmorning on sunny days. The flowers emit a creosote smell that particularly attracts night-flying sphinx moths. Native Americans ate the seeds and the first-year roots (the second-year roots are too woody). After this plant was introduced to Europe from North America in the early 1600s, Europeans ate its roots and put the young shoots into salads. The entire plant was prepared and used to treat whooping cough, hiccups, and asthma.

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