Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Oenothera speciosa var.'Rosea',an Evening primrose

Pink evening primrose

This perennial from south west USA and Mexico was once a popular ground-cover here and then disappeared but is back in the limelight again. I am not sure whether it fell out of favour because it became invasive somewhere or whether it was because, as it is a true herbaceous plant ,completely dieing down over winter, it can be difficult to sell to customers who don't want a bare spot at any time of the year.
I picked this one up at a garden show recently and it was given the cultivar name of 'Twilight' perhaps named before the vampire franchise but certainly redolent of a glowing evening sky in summer. This is one very hardy plant and can cover a metre or more. It is worth considering as a ground cover for a difficult site .

2017 update: I am currently out of stock.

2 comments:

  1. Yes, beautiful picture of this plant.. Here is a similar with yellow flowers. and I did not know what kind it was, but now i know that is one of the genus Oenothera! thank you very much:) .. its flowers open at night and during the early hours of the day are closed .. is a great plant..
    Saludos..

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  2. It is such a pretty plant. It reminds me of portulaca.

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