Flower Index Index by Family Set 1 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5 Set 6 Set 7

Oenothera speciosa | Pink Evening Primrose, Pinkladies, Showy Evening Primrose, Mexican Primrose

First Bloom Dates:

2017 April 30

2019 May 16

2022 May 12

2024 May 2

Oenothera speciosa | Pink Evening Primrose, Pinkladies, Showy Evening Primrose, Mexican Primrose

Onagraceae (Willowherb or Evening Primrose Family) Pronounced Oh-nah-GRACE-ee-eye

Pronounced Ee-NOTH-er-ah Speh-see-OH-sah

The common name of "evening" is because they tend to open up in the afternoon, although sometimes they open up in the morning as well. The common name of "primrose" has an origin of Latin "prima rosa" meaning ‘first rose.’

The shell-pink flowers have four petals in a cup shape, with a bit of yellow in the center. The flowers are almost papery-like.

This plant likes full sun and is drought resistant in, in fact, I cannot kill it if I try!

This plant has rhizomes that are more than a foot below the surface (wow!) that spread by runners and by seed and can become invasive. For many years mine were manageable, but then they started to create more work to keep them contained than time I wanted to spend at it. It also helps to deadhead before the many seeds spread.

I do love the huge coverage of lovely pink blooms though, so I continue to try to contain it. It really needs a bed of its own, but I do love it with the purple Salvia and the yellow coreopsis as they tend to bloom together.

After the first bloom, I tend to just pull them all up, knowing that more are under the surface, and then they grow and bloom again later in the growing season.

The toothed and fringe-like leaves are very recognizable and I often pull them in early Spring and they still come back to give a might mound of blooms.

This plant grows as a native plant in Missouri and other nearby states.

2024