Perennial
Missouri Evening Primrose
Oenothera macrocarpa
Four-inch lemon-yellow flowers that open at dusk on a low, sprawling native. Moths love it.
- Pollinator
- Native
- Groundcover
Quick facts
- Hardiness
- USDA zones 4–8
- Water
- Very low once established
- Sun
- Full sun
- Size
- 6–12 in. tall × 12–24 in. wide
- Bloom & interest
- Huge lemon-yellow cups that open in the evening, late spring through summer
- Plant type
- Perennial
- Native range
- Native to the south-central Great Plains (MO, KS, OK, NE, TX, CO)
Why we recommend it
Enormous evening flowers on a low native that thrives in hot, rocky, dry spots and stays put, unlike its spreading pink cousin. Plant Select's SILVER BLADE (subsp. incana) adds silver foliage.
Best regions: Front RangeHigh DesertGreat PlainsTexas
How to grow it
Watering to establish
Water weekly the first summer; established plants need none and rot if overwatered.
Pruning
Cut back sprawling stems and the winged seed pods in fall or early spring.
Soil
Rocky, sandy or gravelly soil with sharp drainage; tolerates alkaline soil. Deep taproot, so site it once.
Pairs well with
Read more
We haven't written about Missouri Evening Primrose in depth yet. Browse all plant guides.
Where to buy
Shop Missouri Evening Primrose from trusted growers. For the best selection of xeric plants, try a mail-order specialist or ask a local independent nursery.
- High Country Gardens (opens in a new tab)Xeric specialist
- Nature Hills Nursery (opens in a new tab)Wide selection
- American Meadows (opens in a new tab)Perennials & seeds
- Etsy (opens in a new tab)Small growers
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