Common Evening Primrose
Oenothera biennis
Last reviewed: August 2026
Common evening primrose is a tall biennial forb that blooms from June through September, opening its pale yellow flowers in late afternoon and evening. It grows well in dry, sunny fields and disturbed soils across a wide range of climates.
Toxicity unknown
Common Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.
The USDA PLANTS Database (opens in new tab) does not flag Common Evening Primrose as toxic to livestock.
Light
full sun
Water
low
Size
24"–60" H × 12"–24" W
Bloom
Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Native to
AL, AR, CA, CT and 38 more states
Pollinators
bees, moths, butterflies
Before you buy
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Evening primrose is a tall biennial wildflower that produces bright yellow flowers that open in the evening and remain open through the following morning. The plant forms a low rosette in its first year, then sends up tall flowering stalks in the second year before dying and reseeding.
Growing Common Evening Primrose
Grow Common Evening Primrose in full sun and low water. Mature plants reach 24 to 60 inches tall and spread 12 to 24 inches wide. Expect low maintenance to keep it looking intentional in a front yard.
In an HOA neighborhood
Common Evening Primrose takes more care to keep looking intentional in a front yard. Maintenance level: low. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.
Works well in: backyard only.
- Very tall and can appear weedy or unkempt
- Self-seeds aggressively and may spread beyond intended areas
- Dies back completely after flowering, leaving gaps in plantings
Wildlife value
Host plant for primrose moth, white-lined sphinx.
The evening-blooming flowers are especially valuable for night-flying moths and other nocturnal pollinators. Bees and butterflies also visit the flowers during morning hours when they remain open.
Common questions
- When does common evening primrose bloom?
- Common evening primrose typically flowers from June through September, with individual blossoms opening in the late afternoon or evening and closing the following morning.
- What pollinates Oenothera biennis?
- Its evening-opening flowers are visited mainly by moths, along with bees and butterflies, according to the Xerces Society.
- What growing conditions does this plant need?
- It prefers full sun and tolerates low to medium water, doing best in well-drained, even sandy or gravelly, soils rather than consistently wet ground.
- Is common evening primrose a perennial shrub?
- No. It is a biennial forb that forms a low rosette of leaves in its first year and sends up a tall flowering stalk in its second year before setting seed and dying back.
- Is Common Evening Primrose toxic to livestock?
- The USDA PLANTS Database does not flag Common Evening Primrose as toxic to livestock.
- Is Common Evening Primrose HOA-friendly?
- Common Evening Primrose takes more care to look intentional in a front yard. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.
These answers were drafted with an AI model from this plant's data. Verify care details with a local expert.
Native range data from vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists. Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
If something looks wrong
Common plant problems, and what to check first
These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.
- It is dying right after planting
- Leaves turning yellow
- Wilting even though I watered it
- Brown crispy leaf tips
- Bugs on the plant
Ready to grow Common Evening Primrose? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.
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