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Oenothera biennis

Oenothera biennis
Evening Primrose

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This Evening Primrose is a tall biennial plant that forms a clump of leafy and branching stems. It blooms in the second year, in July-August, in the form of lemon-yellow cup-shaped flowers. These flowers open in the evening, emitting a pleasant fragrance that attracts night butterflies. This evening primrose is cultivated in the vegetable garden for its edible fleshy root, or in the ornamental garden.  Once introduced into a garden, it self-seeds generously, sometimes excessively. Sow it directly in the ground, in spring or late summer.  Cultivate in the sun, in well-prepared ordinary soil.
Flower size
5 cm
Height at maturity
85 cm
Exposure
Sun
Annual / Perennial
Biennial
Germination time (days)
21 days
Sowing method
Direct sowing, Sowing under cover
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Sowing period March to May, September
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Flowering time June to August
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Description

Oenothera biennis, the biennial Evening Primrose, also known as Fever Plant, Field Primrose or German Rampion, is a tall biennial plant introduced from North America that has become familiar in our landscapes. It is easily spotted in summer during evening walks, in uncultivated areas where its flowers shine with an almost fluorescent yellow colour and a pleasant scent. The biennial Evening Primrose is cultivated in vegetable gardens for its fleshy root which is edible once cooked, or in ornamental gardens where it generously self-seeds if left to nature. Sow directly in the ground in spring or late summer. Grow in sunny, well-prepared ordinary soil.

 

Oenothera biennis is a biennial herbaceous plant belonging to the Onagraceae family. It is native to central and eastern North America and naturalised worldwide. It is cultivated in gardens for its ornamental qualities, as a vegetable, or for its medicinal and culinary properties. This plant provides the precious evening primrose oil extracted from its seeds. It is used in cosmetics and herbal medicine.

The biennial Evening Primrose forms a large clump of angular, upright, and ramified stems over the course of two years, measuring between 70 cm (28in) and 1.30 m (4ft) in height when flowering, depending on the richness and depth of the soil. In the first year, it only forms a basal rosette. Its leaves are quite long, light green, marked with an almost white vein. The lamina is entire, lanceolate in shape, flexible, and covered with fine hairs. The flowering period extends from June to September in the second year. The cup-shaped flowers consist of 8 lemon yellow to sulfur yellow petals. They open in the late afternoon and wither at sunrise. New buds bloom each evening. Pollination is carried out by nocturnal pollinators. The fruit of this evening primrose measures 2 to 3 cm (1in) in length and contains seeds that ripen when the plant reaches the end of its life and dries up. If the fruits are not destroyed, the evening primrose self-seeds abundantly. Note that the seeds are sought after by certain birds such as tits, finches, accentors, and goldfinches...

 

The biennial Evening Primrose provides us with the most beautiful spectacle when its flowers open for the night. Their unfolding is visible to the naked eye. In ornamental gardens, it can be sown in a flowery meadow, alongside viper's bugloss, field scabious, and mulleins, for example. The Evening Primrose, also known as 'gardener's ham,' is sometimes cultivated as a vegetable in the fertile soil of the vegetable garden, as its large taproots reportedly have the colour of ham and a slightly sweet and peppery flavour with hints of smoked meat. The roots should be harvested at the end of the first year of growth, before the plant exhausts its reserves in flowering. The leaves that form the basal rosette in the first year of growth can also be consumed, added to soups and stews. The older leaves can be eaten in salads, like frisée lettuce, after being deprived of light. This certainly piques our curiosity and why not pair it with Mertensia maritima, the plant with an oyster-like taste.

Flowering

Flower colour yellow
Flowering time June to August
Flower size 5 cm
Fragrance Fragrant
Bee-friendly Attracts pollinators

Foliage

Foliage persistence Deciduous
Foliage colour light green

Plant habit

Height at maturity 85 cm
Spread at maturity 40 cm
Growth rate fast

Botanical data

Genus

Oenothera

Species

biennis

Family

Onagraceae

Other common names

Evening Primrose

Origin

North America

Product reference169391

Planting and care

Sow the biennial Evening Primrose directly in situ in spring or late summer. Sowing in a seed tray is also possible.

Direct sowing: in a well-prepared and refined garden soil, keeping a distance of 40-50 cm (16-20in) between plants. Evening primrose loves sun and well-drained, moist to dry soils. If the goal of cultivation is root harvest, it is preferable to grow the plant in a rich, deep, and moist soil. However, in ornamental gardens, it will thrive in a wide range of soils, even fairly poor and dry ones.

Sowing in a seed tray or pot:

Sow from February to May at room temperature between 18 and 20°C (64.4 and 68°F) on the surface of a good seed compost that you keep moist but not excessively. Apply a light covering of vermiculite, but do not completely cover the seeds as they need some light to germinate. You will see your young shoots appearing between 14 and 21 days. When the seedlings are strong enough to handle, transplant them to a cooler place for two weeks to gradually acclimatize them.
Plant in open ground once the risk of frost has completely passed, making sure to space your plants at least 40 cm (16in) apart.

1
€7.50 Bag
17
€14.50 Each

Sowing period

Sowing period March to May, September
Sowing method Direct sowing, Sowing under cover
Germination time (days) 21 days

Intended location

Suitable for Meadow, Rockery
Type of use Border, Slope, Vegetable garden
Hardiness Hardy down to -23°C (USDA zone 6a) Show map
Ease of cultivation Amateur
Exposure Sun
Soil pH Any
Soil moisture Dry soil, Moist soil, In nutrient rich soil

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