Oenothera grandiflora L'Hér.

Large Flower Evening Primrose

Herb

Biennial

Vascular

Large Flower Evening Primrose is a native herbaceous biennial in the Evening-Primrose family (Onagraceae). It is native to southwest Alabama. Large Flower Evening Primrose occurs on river floodplains, on roadsides, and around the margins of fields. It is a biennial, spending the first year as a basal rosette of leaves from a tap root. During the second year the stem elongates and the plant flowers then dies. The leaves are lanceolate to elliptic or oblong in outline, serrate to nearly entire, and pubescent. The leaves are often red flecked when young. The stem leaves are sessile or short petiolate. The basal and lower stem leaves are deeply scalloped. Stems are erect, pubescent with straight hairs, reddish-brown to green in color, and branched above the middle. Stems are commonly 3-6 feet in height. Fragrant flowers are produced from the axils of the upper leaves. The flowers are lemon yellow in color with 4 heart-shaped petals and are 3-4 inched in diameter. The flowers open at night and close before mid-day. The fruit is a cylindrical pubescent capsule. Large Flower Evening Primrose was first collected by William Bartram on the banks of the Tensaw River in southern Alabama in 1773. He immediately recognized the horticultural potential of the species and sent seed to England. It was widely cultivated and has escaped to various locations making its original distribution unclear. It is similar to Common Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis Linnaeus) and may grow intermingled with it.—A. Diamond

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Native

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