Mendel’s Gardens

Oenothera speciosa

Pink Evening Primrose · Showy Evening Primrose · Pinkladies · Mexican Evening Primrose

Family OnagraceaeGenus Oenothera

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

The plant

Habit
Herbaceous perennialPlant Finder
Habit
Perennial, Forb/herb, SubshrubPLANTS Database
Height
0.75-2 ftPlant Finder
Spread
1-1.5 ftPlant Finder
Flower
Showy; white maturing to rosy pinkPlant Finder
Blooms
May to JulyPlant Finder
Native range
Southwestern United States to MexicoPlant Finder
Native range
Native to the lower 48 statesPLANTS Database
Hardiness zones
4-9Plant Finder
Note
Tolerates drought. Spreads freely where it is happy.Plant Finder

Growing conditions

Sun
Full sun
Soil
Average, dry to medium, well-drained
Moisture
Dry to medium
Watering
Dry to medium

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plant Finder — Missouri Botanical Garden; PLANTS Database — USDA NRCS.

Protocol

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 21 days to germinate.

Germinates in 7–21 days.

Hardy and floriferous in central Pennsylvania, Deno notes, despite its southern origin.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, OenotheraPublic domain
Show the original text
Oenothera (Onagraceae). While many species germ. well in dark treatments, 0. biennis has an absolute light requirement so that photorequirements have to be considered in this genus. 0. speciosa germ. in 1-3w at 70. This species has proven to be hardy and floriferous in central Pennsylvania despite its more southern origin.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Oenothera. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.