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Oenothera macrocarpa (Bigfruit evening-primrose)
Merrill, Connie

Oenothera macrocarpa Nutt.

Bigfruit evening-primrose, Missouri evening-primrose, Fluttermill, Big-fruit evening-primrose, Missouri Primrose

Onagraceae (Evening-Primrose Family)

Synonyms: Oenothera macrocarpa ssp. macrocarpa, Oenothera missouriensis

USDA Symbol: oema

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

The perennial big-fruit evening-primrose or Missouri evening-primrose can be trailing or upright, usually growing 8-10 in. high. Its large, 3-4 in. wide, yellow flowers are showy. The four-petaled flowers, which grow from the upper leaf axils, open in the evening and close the next day, sometimes fading reddish. The foliage is narrow, thick and gray-green.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Size Notes: 8-10 inches tall.
Flower:
Fruit:
Size Class: 0-1 ft.

Bloom Information

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

Distribution

USA: AR , IL , KS , MO , NE , OK , TN , TX
Native Distribution: S.e. NE to TX, e. to TN; introduced elsewhere
Native Habitat: Limestone glades & bluffs; roadsides; rocky prairies & hillsides
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Rocky, gravelly, or sandy soils. Calcareous, Sandy, Limestone-based, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam
Conditions Comments: Stunning, large, four-petaled yellow flowers open in the early evening on a handsome plant with low, mounding habit. Flowers are open for only one evening, but the plant flowers over a long period of time.

Benefit

Use Ornamental: Color, Blooms ornamental, Showy, Attractive, Rock gardens
Use Wildlife: Nectar-Moths
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Interesting Foliage: yes
Attracts: Hummingbirds
Nectar Source: yes
Deer Resistant: Moderate

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: Seeds
Description: This plant is easily propagated from seed, sown in spring or fall, or stem cuttings taken in early summer.
Seed Treatment: No treatment necessary.
Commercially Avail: yes
Maintenance: Prevent complete soil dryness, Remove spent blossoms, Maintain mulch layer, Fertilize in spring with rose food

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:

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Native Plant Society of Texas - Fredericksburg, TX
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department - Austin, TX
NPSOT - Fredericksburg Chapter - Fredericksburg, TX
NPSOT - Williamson County Chapter - Georgetown, TX, TX

Herbarium Specimen(s)

NPSOT 0759 Collected Apr 24, 1994 in Comal County by Mary Beth White

Wildflower Center Seed Bank

LBJWC-MLE-2 Collected 2009-06-24 in Lampasas County by Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Bibliography

Bibref 766 - Dale Groom's Texas Gardening Guide (2002) Groom, D.
Bibref 946 - Gardening with Prairie Plants: How to Create Beautiful Native Landscapes (2002) Wasowski, Sally
Bibref 355 - Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest (1991) Miller, G. O.
Bibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Bibref 281 - Shinners & Mahler's Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas (1999) Diggs, G. M.; B. L. Lipscomb; B. O'Kennon; W. F...
Bibref 291 - Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife (1999) Damude, N. & K.C. Bender
Bibref 286 - Wildflowers of the Texas Hill Country (1989) Enquist, M.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

From the Archive

Wildflower Newsletter 1989 VOL. 6, NO.2 - Wildflower Network Operates in Louisiana, Wildflower Handbook Published, Researc...

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

Metadata

Record Modified: 2009-05-20
Research By: WFS

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