1. Hooker’s Evening Primrose – Oenothera elata ssp. hirsutissima & hookeri
(ee-no-THEE-ruh el-AH (or LAY)-tuh)
Family: Onagraceae (Evening Primrose Family)
Much of California & U.S. southwest (ssp. hirsutissima) and S. CA (ssp. hookeri);
generally moist or seasonally moist places, meadows, bluffs.
Native to:
Growth characteristics: herbaceous biennial/perennial
mature height:3-6 ft. mature width: 4 ft.
Herbacious biennial that may be a short-lived perennial or even an annual in our climate. In nature,
first year is just a rosette of leaves – flowers the second year. Basal leaves are large (to 6”) graygreen. Mature plant has one main stalk with many side branches.
Blooms for long period in summer into fall (July or Aug though Oct.). Blooms open
sequentially. Blooms are large (1 inch), bright lemon-yellow, showy. Flowers open in late
afternoon and remain open until sun hits them the next morning. Nice summer floral color.
Blooms/fruits:
Uses in the garden: Most often used in natural plantings, but fine in other dry garden settings.
Good with native grasses, annual & perennial wildflowers. Just remember that it gets big & it reseeds. Roots can be cooked and eaten. Young foliage can be eaten as raw or cooked greens.
Sensible substitute for: Non-native Evening Primroses.
Attracts: Excellent habitat plant: provides nectar for moths, large bees & hummingbirds & seeds
for seed-eating birds.
Requirements:
Element
Sun
Soil
Water
Fertilizer
Other
Requirement
Full sun to part-shade
Light to medium soils best; does great in sandy/rocky soils
Wide range of tolerance: Zone 1-2 to 2-3 (little to occasional summer water)
None needed; but not a problem
Simplicity itself to grow from seed. Re-seeds very well – just pull up the ones you
don’t want in late spring.
Management:
Propagation: from seed: in prepared beds, fall to spring. No pretreatment required.
Plant/seed sources (see list for source numbers): 2, 5, 8, 10, 12-14, 16, 20
12/10/10
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