Oenothera wolfii

Wolf's evening-primrose

Family: Onagraceae · Type: biennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1

Wolf's evening-primrose is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native biennial found in northern California Coast and Klamath Ranges in coastal sand environments, including dunes, bluffs, and moist roadsides at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering from May to October, this plant produces yellow flowers that gracefully fade to red-orange, with large blooms held on an elongated spike. Growing 5 to 10 decimeters tall with erect stems densely covered in fine strigose hairs, some with distinctive red, blister-like bases, the plant has a striking visual texture. Its narrow lance-shaped leaves measure 5 to 18 centimeters long, characterized by wavy and toothed edges that become more prominently dentate toward the stem's upper portions. The fruit develops as a nearly cylindrical structure 30 to 48 millimeters long, containing small, irregularly pitted seeds.

Habitat: Coastal sand, including dunes, bluffs, roadsides, generally moist places (perhaps also inland)

Bloom period: May-Oct

Elevation: < 100 m (+- 800 m, Carrville, Trinity Co.)

Bioregions: n NCo, KR

California counties: Humboldt, Del Norte, Trinity, San Luis Obispo, Mendocino, Los Angeles

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