Oenothera caespitosa – Tufted Evening Primrose

Oenothera caespitosa - Tufted Evening Primrose, Fragrant Evening Primrose, Stemless Primrose, Cespitose Evening-primrose

Oenothera caespitosa - Tufted Evening Primrose, Fragrant Evening Primrose, Stemless Primrose, Cespitose Evening-primrose

Plant Name

Scientific Name: Oenothera caespitosa

Synonym: Oenothera cespitosa

Common Names: Tufted Evening Primrose, Fragrant Evening Primrose, Stemless Primrose, Cespitose Evening-primrose

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial

Growth Habit: Subshrub, Herb/Forb

Arizona Native Status: Native

Habitat: Desert (upper elevation), Upland, Mountain

Flower Color: White, Pink (when old and wilted)

Flowering Season: Spring, Summer, Fall (early)

Height: To 6 inches (15 cm) tall

Description: The showy, white flowers open late in the afternoon and then turn pink and wilt by the following morning. The flowers are up to 4 inches (10 cm) across and have 4 heart-shaped petals. The leaves are green, toothed or lobed, narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate in shape, up to 7 inches (18 cm) long or more, and clumped in a dense basal rosette.

Special Characteristics

Butterfly Plant – The flowers attract large hummingbird moths.

Fragrant – The flowers are nocturnal and lightly fragrant.

Classification

Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Rosidae
Order: Myrtales
Family: Onagraceae – Evening Primrose family
Genus: Oenothera L. – evening primrose
Species: Oenothera caespitosa Nutt. – tufted evening primrose

More About This Plant

Arizona County Distribution Map