Evening Primrose

Oenothera Biennis

Evening Primrose is a North American native biennial plant. The plants are very tall, often 4 to 5 feet or more in height. The stem is erect, stout, soft-hairy, reddish and branching forming a shrub. Leaves are alternate, rough-hairy, lanceolate, about 3 to 6 inches long and lemon-scented. The taproot is elongated, fibrous, yellow on the outside and whitish within. The flower spikes grow on auxiliary branches all along the stalk. They are about 2-1/2 inched in diameter, bright yellow and have four petals, a cross shaped stigma and a refluxed calyx (leaves under petals). The flowers open in the evening and close up during the day and are strongly scented with a delicious sweet perfume which attracts pollinating moths. The fruit is an oblong 1 in. capsule containing many tiny reddish seeds. (stolen from altnature.com)

I have the pleasure of watching these flowers open every evening. It's like time lapse photography,only the real thing. Takes a few minutes for each one to unwind itself. First the green leaves slower pull back, nothing happens for a little while then the little stigmas inside begin to spin and the flower opens. It is just so cool to watch. I love having them in little neglected flower beds in front of the house.

I took a video of one opening but unfortunately I am unable to upload it to the blog. What a shame. If you know anyone near who has this flower, it well worth watching in the evenings. In the past I have shared it with neighborhood children, but alas we have no children anymore. But the adults around certainly enjoy it also. It's the hit of the neighborhood!!