Oenothera elata

Evening primrose

Family: Onagraceae · Type: biennial · Native

Evening primrose is a California native biennial found in various bioregions in open grasslands, disturbed areas, and along roadsides. Flowering from May to September, this plant produces bright yellow flowers that fade to red-orange, with large blossoms 25 to 52 millimeters long. Growing with erect stems 30 to 100 centimeters tall, it is densely covered in fine strigose hairs and occasional glandular patches. Its cauline leaves range from 4 to 25 centimeters long, oblanceolate to lanceolate in shape, with slightly toothed or nearly entire margins. The elongated fruit is narrowly lanceolate, 20 to 65 millimeters long, showcasing the plant's distinctive transformation from vibrant yellow blooms to reddish-orange hues.

California counties: Inyo, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, San Bernardino, Mono, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, Tulare, Modoc, Contra Costa, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Tuolumne, Placer, San Mateo, Ventura, El Dorado, Madera, Mariposa

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.