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Oenothera laciniata (Cutleaf evening-primrose)
Cliffe, Harry

Oenothera laciniata Hill

Cutleaf evening-primrose, Cut-leaf Evening Primrose

Onagraceae (Evening-Primrose Family)

USDA Symbol: oela

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

The cut-leaved evening primrose grows 4–18 inches high, erect or prostrate. Leaves are alternate, simple, pinnately cleft into rounded lobes, or sometimes merely wavy-edged or toothed. Usually they are about 2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. The small, pale yellow flowers are borne singly in the axils, with 4 heart shaped petals 1/5–3/5 inch long, 8 stamens, and 1 pistil. They have 4 pinkish sepals, united at the base to form a tube.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Annual
Habit: Herb
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Margin: Cleft
Flower: 4 sepals turning down
Fruit:
Size Class: 0-1 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Pink , Yellow
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , CA , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , HI , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MS , NC , ND , NE , NJ , NM , NY , OH , OK , PA , SC , SD , TN , TX , VA , VT , WI , WV , WY
Native Habitat: Almost all of North America east of the Rocky Mountains and some areas west of the Rockies. Found on disturbed ground, fields, and fencerows. Grows in well drained sandy and limestone soils.
USDA Native Status: L48(N), HI(I), CAN(I)

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Part Shade
Conditions Comments: Leaves are narrow with toothed to deeply lobed margins. They have a distinctive white midvein. The pale yellow flowers have pinkish sepals and open in the evening withering the next morning. The fruit is an elongated, curved pod. Seed in spring.

Benefit

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

Propagation Material: Root Division
Maintenance: Prevent complete soil dryness, Maintain mulch layer, Remove spent blossoms, Fertilize in spring with rose food

Find Seed or Plants

Order seed of this species from Native American Seed and help support the Wildflower Center.

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:

Fredericksburg Nature Center - Fredericksburg, TX
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Pineywoods Native Plant Center - Nacogdoches, TX
Brackenridge Field Laboratory - Austin, TX
Stengl Biological Research Station - Smithville, TX

Herbarium Specimen(s)

NPSOT 0594 Collected Apr 28, 1991 in Bexar County by Harry Cliffe
NPSOT 0551 Collected Apr 8, 1988 in Bexar County by Harry Cliffe

Bibliography

Bibref 766 - Dale Groom's Texas Gardening Guide (2002) Groom, D.
Bibref 281 - Shinners & Mahler's Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas (1999) Diggs, G. M.; B. L. Lipscomb; B. O'Kennon; W. F...
Bibref 248 - Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide (1984) Loughmiller, C. & L. Loughmiller
Bibref 286 - Wildflowers of the Texas Hill Country (1989) Enquist, M.

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

Metadata

Record Modified: 2009-06-02
Research By: NPC

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