Pronounciation: O-en-o-THER-a ces-pi-TOE-sa

Hardiness zones
Sunset All zones
USDA All zones

Landscape Use: Small, floral accent plant for oasis and xeric landscape border plantings, rock gardens, containers, and hanging baskets.

Form & Character: Clumping, informal, free, interesting, colorful.

Growth Habit: Evergreen, herbaceous, broadleaf perennial subshrub, prostrate, rosetting, clumping eventually to 1-foot height with almost a 2-feet spread.

Foliage/Texture: Variable, light gray green leaves, sometimes serrate, pubescent, prominent midvein, spatulate, 4-inches long; medium texture.

Flowers & Fruits: Relatively large, solitary, axillary white flowers to 3-inches across with nearly fused petals, slightly tinged with pink, fruit inconspicuous.

Seasonal Color: Tufted evening primrose grows a mass display of flowers in the spring.

Temperature: Fully tolerant.

Light: Full sun best.

Soil: Tolerant of various soil conditions including mild alkalinity, but soils must be well-drained.

Watering: Supplemental irrigation during hot weather will maintain healthy appearance.

Pruning: None required (coarsely translated...."its best to leave this puppy alone").

Propagation: Seed, division, or root cuttings.

Disease and Pests: None

Additional comments: Tufted evening primrose is a nice, diminutive 'western' native plant for informal landscape borders and flower garden settings.

Taxonomic tidbits: Oenothera is derived from the greek words oinos (wine) and thera (to imbibe or drink up). Oddly, some European plants in this genus were once thought to provoke a taste for wine.