This Thursday I am featuring a plant I often overlook. However, this year it has seeded itself in a rather prominent position at the front of a flower bed and is demanding attention!
Oenothera odorata ‘Sulphurea’
This perennial does not die down completely in winter but it still needs time and warmth to start producing its long stems, which have buds all the way up them. It starts flowering in June and will continue to flower all summer, even until October if it is mild. It is a very hardy plant – coping with extremes down to -28°C.
The cup-shaped flowers open when it is not too hot, and although it is called Evening Primrose I find it often opens flowers in the morning too. They are short-lived, but just as beautiful as they curl back up. This creamy yellow one turns pinker as it fades. Quite a remarkable colour.
Oenothera are noted for their importance for pollinators such as hummingbird hawk moths, and many of the common ones – Oenothera biennis – grow nearby on undisturbed ground. I have only seen a few bees on mine this year though…
This one is supposed to smell wonderful in the evenings. Unfortunately I haven’t ever detected more than a faint fragrance. It is still an enrichment for any garden though, but it will settle where it is happiest and not necessarily where you originally plant it!
I am linking in to the Thursday’s Feature meme at Cosmos and Cleome. Do visit Kimberley there to see what she has featured this week. And do join in!
Words and Herbs 
Is it drought tolerant, it is very pretty and airy, I’d like some mixed with the Gaura.
After last summer it has proved itself to be very drought tolerant. I rarely water my garden and as you can see it is thriving again this year. I think it might flower better if given a good drink now and then though, as it is looking particularly healthy after all our rain.
It seems that botanists have recently reclassified Gaura species as Oenothera species:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3881414/
Thanks Steve. There are so many connections I am unaware of… having just looked up ‘evening primrose family’ on Wikipedia I see that Epilobium and Clarkia are also relatives. The Gaura grown in most European gardens is, I think, G. lindheimeri, which is not normally hardy enough for our climate here in southern Germany.
I suspect that Gaura lindheimeri, which is native in central Texas, has been “hacked” to create cultivars that can survive in your colder part of the world.
I just start following your blog, looks really nice and what a beautiful garden. I will surely get a lot of inspiration here.
Welcome! And thanks for signing up to follow. 🙂
It is so interesting that there are so many varieties of Evening Primrose around the world. I have recently been growing Oenothera grandiflora collected by William Bartram in the 1700’s in the American South. He sent the plants to England and Europe. Mine only bloom in the fall.
How interesting. I just assumed they are all early summer flowers. I just found your post about them when I googled the name. Thanks!
I always love evening primrose and yet you don’t see it very often. My ground will be too heavy. Beautiful photos.
Thanks Dorris. Some years it seems to be everywhere around here. It must like our alkaline soil.
so good drainage as well?
I think that’s important, yes.
A charming flower!
I agree. The colour is so lovely. 🙂
Such a pretty flower Cathy. Someone shared evening primrose with me a few weeks ago but it’s barely hanging on. Would love it to look like yours.
That’s a shame Susie. There are many different kinds, so perhaps you will find one that is happy in your garden one day.
This is a wonderful version. I like it better than the pink or the yellow.
Hi Ricki. I think I like the foliage of this one better than any others too.
Love this cream colour.
It reminds me of peaches and cream! 😉
I’ve heard of Evening Primrose, Cathy. I wonder if it would do well in my climate. It might, since you mention it’s drought tolerant. Of course you get more rainfall in general, but it still might be hearty enough for us to cultivate. It is graceful and wild at the same time. I really love it. I think I’ll go on a hunt! 🙂
Good luck Debra! I am sure you will find one as it must originate from your part of the world. One of the common names is Desert Primrose, which suggests it may like your climate! It was only introduced to Europe a few hundred years ago. 😉
P.S. Look what I found! http://www.laspilitas.com/search?search_text=oenothera
🙂
I had an Evening Primrose for a while, but it was a different cultivar, with larger, dark green leaves. It was not as upright as yours, but rather sprawled over the ground and spread like mad. I think I got frustrated with its messy habit and eventually pulled it out. It was a Missouri Primrose (Oenothera macrocarpa) http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=e390
Lots of people around here have the Oenothera biennis, and I admire it in their gardens. I should get some for my own, since it’s a nice bit of bright color bridging spring into summer when not much else is blooming!
Thanks for joining in and sharing your primrose, Cathy!
Thanks for the link. I have actually got another one, bought under the name Oenothera missouriensis, which is in fact the same as O. macrocarpa! It is flowering beautifully at the moment, but as you know it is a small low-growing plant not at all like this one I have featured. Sadly it also doesn’t seem to have much fragrance. Thank you for hosting Kimberley!
Apparently “missouriensis” was recently re-name ‘macrocarpa.” I kind of like it when it was named after the state, myself!
Mother Nature has a nice way of decorating sometimes…I like her little gift to you.
She certainly reminded me who is in charge! Few plants seed themselves in my garden… except on pathways or overhanging pathways and the lawn, where they eventually have to be removed! 😉
Sadly my garden is too shady for it to make its home here.
Yes, it does like a warm and sunny spot with a bit of space around it.
I really like this one! I love the airiness and the long bloom season sounds great, I’ll have to add it to my ‘wants’ list 😉
All the oenothera I’ve tried are either weedy or messy looking but I knew there were nicer ones out there!
Some of them do look untidy, but this one is quite sturdy provided it has space around it and plenty of sunshine. I’m sure you would get it to grow well for you Frank!
It’s a beautiful plant. I have a similar plant in the same genus, O. fruticosa, with bright yellow flowers.
I just looked that one up and would like one in the future. It looks similar to the other one I grow: O. macrocarpa but with larger flowers. I have learnt a lot from this post as everyone seems to have experience with different ones!
Lovely dark stems, Cathy, with that pale yellow flower – I guess, judging by what Jason says above, it is worth searching out ‘Sulphurea’ for the pale colour? I must have another go at trying to get them to ‘like me’.
There are several different ones so I am sure there would be one for your garden amongst them. I have been looking at various websites for information on others and love this one in particular: http://www.suttons.co.uk/Gardening/Perennial+Plants/All+Perennial+Plants/Oenothera+Plants+-+Sunset+Boulevard_MH3769.htm#close
🙂
What great info, Cathy. I will prepare to try again in 2017!
Beautiful!! I’d love to grow it here but our oenathera is much shorter.
Over the past week I have realised just how many different sorts there are! 😉
What a beauty!
Thanks Sheryl!
The name “Evening Primrose” is evocative. I can see the lady, refine, hiding behind a hat with a large brim, or a veil which shades part of her face. She only comes out in the evening, because the sunlight is hard to take – she being of a fairer complexion. Oh yes, there’s poetry in that name! 🙂
Oh yes, what a lovely image. Perfect! The plant is tall and willowy too, so that adds to the imagery of a delicate and elegant figure.Thanks for sharing your thoughts!