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| ## common evening-primrose {#common-evening-primrose .Title-Header}   |
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| *Oenothera biennis* L.                                                |
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| Plant Symbol = OEBI                                                   |
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Contributed by: USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center

### 

##### Alternate Names

Weedy evening-primrose, German rampion, hog weed, King's cure-all,
fever-plant

##### 

##### Uses

*Ethnobotanic*: The Cherokee, Iroquois, Ojibwas, and Potawatomi were
among several Native American tribes that used common evening-primrose
for both food and for medicinal purposes. The roots were boiled and
eaten like potatoes. The young leaves were cooked and served as greens.
The shoots were eaten raw. A tea was made from the plant and used as a
dietary aid or stimulant to treat laziness and "overfatness." A hot
poultice made from the pounded roots was applied externally to treat
piles and boils. A poultice made from the entire plant was used to treat
bruises. The roots were chewed and rubbed onto the muscles to improve
strength. The plant was used to treat pain associated with menstruation
as well as bowel pain. Handfuls of people still use the plant today,
medicinally and for food.

*Other:* Common evening-primrose is commercially cultivated in over 15
countries for its oil which contains the essential fatty acids, linoleic
acid and gamma linolenic acid (Kemper 1999). When the seedpods ripen,
the tall stalks can be cut and used as interesting additions to dried
arrangements.![](media/image2.jpeg){width="2.792361111111111in"
height="4.197916666666667in"}

*Wildlife*: Hummingbirds visit the flowers to obtain nectar and insects
to eat. The seed capsules provide food for many other birds during the
winter months. It is thought that the plants are pollinated by
night-visiting hawk moths, which feed on their nectar. Japanese Beetles
prefer the leaves of common evening-primrose to those of other garden
plants.

##### Status

Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural
Resources for this plant's current status (e.g. threatened or endangered
species, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values).

##### Weediness

This plant may become weedy or invasive in some regions or habitats and
may displace desirable vegetation if not properly managed. Please
consult with your local NRCS Field Office, Cooperative Extension Service
office, or state natural resource or agricultural department regarding
its status and use. Weed information is also available from the PLANTS.

##### 

##### Description

######## General: Evening Primrose Family (Onagraceae). Oenothera biennis is a biennial, herbaceous forb. The family is so-named because the flowers are partially to fully closed during the day and open in the evening. The bright yellow to gold corolla is 2-5 cm wide, with four petals. The fragrant flowers usually last only one to two days. The erect stem, which sometimes branches near the top, can be covered with hairs. The plant grows from 3-25 dm tall. Basal leaves, which form a rosette, are from 10-30 cm long. The stem has alternate, lanceolate-shaped leaves, 2.5-15 cm long, that are shallowly toothed and wavey at the edges. The leaves are usually hairy. The plant flowers can from June through October. 

*Distribution*: For current distribution, please consult the Plant
Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Web site.

##### Adaptation

Common evening-primrose grows in dry open fields, along roadsides,
railroad embankments, waste areas and in open woods.

##### Establishment

These plants do best in well-drained soils in full sun. They can be
easily grown from seed. The seeds are ripe when the seed capsule begins
to split open, usually in October. To insure even planting, mix the
seeds with a small amount of sand prior to sowing. The seeds usually
germinate within four weeks. Thereafter, the plants will generally
self-sow. Please use care when cultivating this plant as it has become
invasive in many parts of the world.

##### Control

##### Please contact your local agricultural extension specialist or county weed specialist to learn what works best in your area and how to use it safely. Always read label and safety instructions for each control method. Trade names and control measures appear in this document only to provide specific information. USDA, NRCS does not guarantee or warranty the products and control methods named, and other products may be equally effective.

##### Cultivars, Improved, and Selected Materials (and area of origin) 

These plants are readily available from commercial sources. Contact your
local Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly Soil Conservation
Service) office for more information. Look in the phone book under
"United States Government." The Natural Resources Conservation Service
will be listed under the subheading "Department of Agriculture."

##### 

##### References

Bailey, L.H. & E.Z. Bailey 1976. *Hortus Third: A concise dictionary of
plants cultivated in the United States and Canada*. Simon and Schuster
Macmillan Co., New York, New York. 1290 pp.

Banks, W.H. 1953. *Ethnobotany of the Cherokee Indians*. Master of
Science Thesis, University of Tennessee, Tennessee. 216 pp.

Borchers, A.T., C.L. Keen, J.S. Stern & M.E. Gershwin 2000.
*Inflammation and Native American Medicine: the role of botanicals.*
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 72: 339-347.

Coffey, T. 1993. *The history & folklore of North American wildflowers.*
Houghton Mifflin, Boston, Massachusetts. 356 pp.

Chapman, A.W. 1883. *Flora of the southern United States: Flowering
Plants and Ferns*. Second Edition. J. Wilson and Son, Cambridge,
Massachusetts. 698 pp.

Cullina, W. 2000. *The New England Wild Flower Society guide to growing
and propagating wildflowers in the United States and Canada*. Houghton
Mifflin Company, New York, New York. 322 pp.

Duncan, W. H. & L.E. Foote 1975. *Wildflowers of the Southeastern United
States.* University of Georgia Press, Athens, Georgia. 296 pp.

Hamel, P.B. & M.U. Chiltoskey 1975. *Cherokee plants and their uses: A
400-year history*. Herald Publishing Company, Sylva, North Carolina. 65
pp.

Kemper, K.J., MD, MPH 1999. *The Longwood Herbal Taskforce and the
Center for Holistic Pediatric Education and Research. Evening primrose
(*Oenethera biennis*).* http://www.mcp.edu/herbal/epo/epo.pdf

(13 June 2001).

Martin, A.C., H.S. Zim & A.L. Nelson 1951 *American wildlife and plants:
A guide to wildlife food habits*. Dover Publications, New York, New
York. 500 pp.

Moerman, D.E. 1998 N*ative American ethnobotany*. Timber Press,
Portland, Oregon. 927 pp.

Phillips, H.R. 1985. *Growing and propagating wild flowers.* University
of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. 331 pp.

Small, J.K. 1933. *Manual of Southeastern flora*. University of North
Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. 1554 pp.

Steffek, E.F. 1983. *The new wild flowers and how to grow them*. Timber
Press, Portland, Oregon. 186 pp.

Taylor, K.S. and S.F. Hamblin 1963. *Handbook of wild flower
cultivation*. The Macmillan Company, New York, New York. 307 pp.

##### Prepared By: 

##### *Diana L. Immel*

##### Formerly USDA, NRCS, National Plant Data Center, c/o Environmental Horticulture Department, University of California, Davis, California

##### 

##### Species Coordinator

##### *M. Kat Anderson*

##### USDA, NRCS, National Plant Data Center, c/o Plant Sciences Department, University of California, Davis, California

##### 

##### Edited: 21June2001 jsp; 29may03 ahv; 060802 jsp

For more information about this and other plants, please contact your
local NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the PLANTS
Web site\<[http://plants.usda.gov](http://plants.usda.gov/)\> or the
Plant Materials Program Web site
\<[http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov](http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov/)\>

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*To file a complaint of discrimination write USDA, Director, Office of
Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence
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