Evening Primrose (Oenothera)

Evening Primrose Plant Features

The subtle pink, upward facing, cup-like flowers of evening primrose are so cheerful they almost seem to smile at you as you pass by. This easy-care sun worshipper is a snap to grow and tolerates a variety of tough conditions. Evening primrose grows about 2 feet tall, but has a tendency to sprawl in a casual manner. That's what makes evening primrose a great groundcover for exposed hillsides or slopes. The fragrant flowers appear all summer long and will entice butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden. Rabbits and deer generally do not feed on evening primrose. Hardy from zones 5-9.

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Evening Primrose Growing Instructions

Evening primrose thrives in a sunny location that receives at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sun a day. The plants are not fussy about soil type and will grow and spread in even poor sandy soil. Evening primrose can become invasive so plant it where you can appreciate its spreading nature.

Evening primrose is not intended for human or animal consumption.

Water

Low water needs
Light

Outside: Sun
Colors

Pink
Special Features

Attracts butterflies

Attracts hummingbirds

Deer/rabbit resistant

Fragrant flowers/foliage

Groundcover

Super-easy to grow

Complement your Evening Primrose

Coreopsis
Tolerant of tough conditions Coreopsis makes a good partner for Evening Primrose.

Daylily
Mix Daylily and Evening Primrose on a sunny hillside and enjoy the flower show.

Coneflower
Coneflower and Evening Primrose both work well in butterfly gardens.

Our favorite varieties

Lemon Sunset Evening Primrose

Oenothera 'Lemon Sunset'

‘Lemon Sunset’ evening primrose gets its name from its brilliant yellow blooms that slowly fade to a glowing orange-red as they mature. A super-easy flower, ‘Lemon Sunset’ grows 2 to 3 feet tall and blooms all summer long.

Glowing Magenta Evening Primrose

Oenothera kunthiana 'Glowing Magenta'

Glowing Magenta evening primrose is a garden showstopper. It sports bold, hot-pink flowers all summer long. Only growing 12 inches tall and wide, it's perfect for gardens of any size. Zones 5-8

Siskiyou Pink Evening Primrose

Oenothera 'Siskiyou Pink'

A vigorous spreader, ‘Siskiyou Pink’ evening primrose makes a great groundcover on a sunny slope or hillside. Its clear pink, 2-inch-wide flowers appear all summer and occasionally into the fall. It grows 10 to 12 inches tall.

Twilight Evening Primrose

Oenothera 'Twilight'

Prized for its colorful leaves and flowers, ‘Twilight’ evening primrose produces masses of bright pink blooms atop a mound of bronze leaves with bright green margins. It grows 12 inches tall and looks great in containers and in the border as a groundcover.