Oenothera speciosa rosea

50 Seeds|

In contrast to its predominantly yellow flowered relative, this evening primrose produces white flowers that turn rosy pink from the outer edge of the petals inwards as they age. The plants grow 12-24" high and spread up to 15", sending runners out beyond that. The tough, slender, reclining stems support narrow spoon shaped leaves. The leaves tend to have deeply cut margins, especially near the base of the plant, where they are larger. The bowl-shaped flowers face skyward. They appear in mid-late spring and are nearly 2" across. Starting out as nodding buds, flowers emerge from long tubes in the upper leaf axils. The huge stamens at the center of the flower are bright yellow. There may also be a yellowish tinge to the base of the petals and/or a reddish tinge to their veins. Pink evening primrose comes from the south-central United States. It is native to the rocky prairies and savannas of the lower Midwest, but now commonly seen along roadsides and in disturbed areas over a much broader region. Pink evening primrose will grow nicely in poor soil. Plants are late to emerge in the spring, so their locations should be marked. They may not be just where you planted them though! Evening primroses tend to be surreptitiously invasive. They send their roots far and wide during the winter when no top growth is visible, then pop up everywhere in the spring.  Moisture: Plants are likely to die of root rot if the soil is not well drained. They do fine in high humidity. Hardy to zones 6-10.