I returned from some errands one day in mid-June and was greeted by a 5-inch lemon-yellow flower screaming “look at me!” from the stone wall in the front of our house. At first I had no idea what it was.
Then I remembered that in late April I had planted an evening primrose Oenothera macrocarpa (formerly O. missouriensis)!
These plants like to sprawl in rock gardens and other dry spots. Our summers have been very dry for the last few years, so I thought why not grow something that might thrive?
The flowers usually open in the late afternoon and last a day. This one was already open at 8am, so I’m guessing it was the previous day’s flower.
Indeed by that evening it was winding down its show.
Because they are open at night, these native flowers are very beneficial for moths. That’s good because moth larvae feed many, many baby birds in the spring and early summer.
Evening primrose plants prefer growing in well-draining soil in full sun. They grow about a foot tall and may spread up to 18 inches.
These native perennials are deer and rabbit-resistant, and they are hardy in Zones 3-8.