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Native Plant Database

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Oenothera caespitosa (Tufted evening primrose)
Bransford, W.D. and Dolphia

Oenothera caespitosa Nutt.

Tufted evening primrose, Gumbo evening primrose, Gumbo lily, Fragrant evening primrose

Onagraceae (Evening-Primrose Family)

USDA Symbol: oeca10

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

Rosettes of oblong leaves with pointed tips subtend tufted evening-primrose’s 4-6 in. flower stalks. Each large, white flower has four, heart-shaped petals and eight yellow stamens. The flowers open in late afternoon, close the next morning, and wither to pink or red-violet. Lateral roots may give rise to new perennial plants.

Tufted Evening-primrose is a member of the evening-primrose family (family Onagraceae), which includes mainly herbs, rarely shrubs or trees with often showy flowers. Primrose ultimately derives from a Latin word meaning first and the true primroses (Primulaceae), unrelated to evening-primroses, are among the first flowers to bloom in the spring. Apparently in the early 1600s when an eastern United States species of Oenothera was being described, its sweet scent reminded the botanist of wild primroses of Europe. He gave the name to those plants and it stuck.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf: Green
Flower:
Fruit:
Size Class: 0-1 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug

Distribution

USA: AZ , CA , CO , ID , MT , ND , NE , NM , NV , OR , SD , TX , UT , WA , WY
Canada: AB , SK
Native Distribution: WA to w. ND, s. to s. CA & NM
Native Habitat: Dry buttes, exposed hillsides & open woods
USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
CaCO3 Tolerance: High
Soil Description: Dry, clay soils.

Benefit

Use Wildlife: Seed is eaten by many birds.
Use Medicinal: Root pounded into pulp and placed on swellings and sores .(Kindscher)
Conspicuous Flowers: yes

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Propagation

Description: Sow unstratified seed in fall; stratified in spring. Germination is low. The long, woody roots are difficult to divide, but separation of offsets from the parent plants is effective.
Seed Collection: Collect seeds as they ripen throughout the season and store in a cool, dark area.
Seed Treatment: None required.
Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Santa Barbara, CA
Tohono Chul Park, Inc. - Tucson, AZ
Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Bibliography

Bibref 610 - Edible wild plants of the prairie : an ethnobotanical guide (1987) Kindscher, K.
Bibref 946 - Gardening with Prairie Plants: How to Create Beautiful Native Landscapes (2002) Wasowski, Sally
Bibref 995 - Native Landscaping from El Paso to L.A. (2000) Wasowski, S. and A. Wasowski

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Oenothera caespitosa in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Oenothera caespitosa in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Oenothera caespitosa

Metadata

Record Modified: 2009-02-21
Research By: TWC Staff

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