Stemless evening primrose, Tufted evening primrose
| Botanical Name | Oenothera caespitosa |
| Common Name | Stemless evening primrose, Tufted evening primrose |
| Family | Onagraceae |
| Description | This low-growing biennial or perennial has fuzzy leaves clustered at ground level. The leaf shape varies: lance-shaped, wavy-lobed or toothed. |
| Mature Size | 3” – 8” high |
| Bloom | In May and June this attractive plant produces large, white, fragrant flowers with long floral tubes. Each flower is 1”-3” across. It usually has 4 petals, 4 sepals, and a 4-lobed stigma that is cross-shaped. It opens in the evening and closes in the mid-day heat. It becomes pink on drying. The Oenothera caespitosa is considered among the most beautiful and delicate of desert flowering plants. |
| Interesting Facts | This delicate flower grows in dryish, open, often rocky slopes. |
| Traditional and Medicinal Uses | The Stemless evening primrose is a nectar source for butterflies. Oil of primrose made from the seeds of Oenothera biennis, a relative of Oenothera caespitosa, is said to be the world’s richest source of natural unsaturated fatty acids and helpful in treatment of a wide variety of disorders. It is commonly sold in health-food stores. |
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Photo by Janice Tucker for SFBG
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