Oenothera fruticosa
An eastern North American native perennial with day-flowering bright yellow four-petaled flowers, lance-shaped leaves, drought tolerance, and a preference for full sun on well-drained soils that provides nectar for pollinators.
Common Names
Sundrops, Narrow-leaf Evening Primrose, Southern Sundrops, Evening Primrose
Summary
Oenothera fruticosa is a herbaceous perennial in the Onagraceae native to eastern North America, it forms basal rosettes with erect stems and day-blooming bright yellow, four-petaled flowers, with lance-shaped leaves and a habit typical of meadows, fields, and open woods or disturbed habitats, where flowers open during the day from late spring to early summer. In cultivation, it prefers full sun to light shade and well-drained soil, tolerating dry to medium moisture and a range of soil types, hardy in USDA zones 4–9. The plant is relatively low maintenance, deer- and rabbit-resistant, and attracts bees and hummingbirds. It self-seeds readily and can naturalize in suitable sites, making it suitable for borders, prairie plantings, wildflower gardens, and meadow or native plantings.
Lifecycle
Annual, Biennial, Perennial
Height
12-36 inches
Spread
1-3 feet
Hardiness Zones
Zones 4-9
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally Full Sun; tolerates Partial Shade
Soil Type
Well-drained soil, tolerates loam, clay, sand, or gravel, neutral to slightly acidic pH
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soils, preferably light, sandy soils.
Soil pH
Tolerates all pH levels
Bloom Color
Yellow
Bloom Time
Spring to Fall
Foliage Color
Green
Fall Foliage Color
Purple and bronze hues
Leaf Lifecycle
Evergreen broadleaf
Growth Rate
Fast
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, and Fall
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Cuttings, Division, Layering
Attracts Wildlife
Bees, Hummingbirds, Butterflies, Other pollinators, Birds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- L.
- Publication
- Sp. Pl. : 346 (1753)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Myrtales
- Family
- Onagraceae
- Genus
- Oenothera
Inferior Taxa
Oenothera fruticosa f. hirsuta Oenothera fruticosa var. unguiculata
Synonyms
Kneiffia floribunda Kneiffia angustifolia Kneiffia suffruticosa Kneiffia maculata Oenothera florida Oenothera incana Oenothera canadensis Onagra linkiana Oenothera fruticosa var. eamesii Oenothera fruticosa var. fruticosa Oenothera tetragona var. velutina Kneiffia subglobosa Kneiffia arenicola Kneiffia fruticosa Kneiffia semiglandulosa Oenothera hybrida Oenothera linearis Kneiffia longipedicellata Sphaerostigma arenicola Oenothera longipedicellata Oenothera linearis var. eamesii Oenothera ambigua Oenothera fruticosa var. subglobosa Kneiffia velutina Oenothera fruticosa var. fraseri Oenothera fruticosa var. pilosella Oenothera subglobosa Oenothera arenicola Oenothera subglobosa var. arenicola Kneiffia linearis var. allenii Kneiffia allenii Oenothera fruticosa var. ambigua Oenothera hybrida var. ambigua Kneiffia linearis Oenothera fruticosa f. diversifolia Oenothera fruticosa f. sessilicarpa Oenothera fruticosa var. differta Oenothera fruticosa var. goodmanii Oenothera fruticosa var. humifusa Oenothera fruticosa var. linearifolia Oenothera fruticosa var. maculata Oenothera fruticosa var. microcarpa Oenothera fruticosa var. phyllopus Oenothera linearis var. angustifolia Oenothera tetragona var. riparia Kneiffia fruticosa var. unguiculata Oenothera fruticosa f. incana Oenothera fruticosa f. phyllopus Oenothera fruticosa var. linearis Kneiffia riparia Oenothera riparia Oenothera fruticosa var. incana Oenothera linearis var. brevifolia