Oenothera glazioviana - Evening Primrose

May 13, 2005

  

Attract an Audience with Beautiful & Fragrant Blooms.
  - Oenothera (Evening Primrose) - glazioviana
  - Garden Q&A
 

 

 

Oenothera (Evening Primrose) - glazioviana

Fragrant Blooms Just as the Sun Begins to Set
At dusk during the summer months, your garden can be graced with the opening of the beautiful nocturnal blooms of Evening Primrose or Oenothera (ee-NOTH-er-a). Not all so-called Evening Primroses are nocturnal, some varieties are diurnal (they flower during the day and close at night), but the nocturnal varieties are our favorite. There is nothing as enjoyable as watching a huge Evening Primrose open while sitting on your porch or strolling in the garden just as the sun begins to set. This week we are featuring one such species, the rare and hard-to-find Oenothera glazioviana.

A Legendary Garden Favorite that will Attract an Audience!
Oenothera glazioviana blooms for about 6 weeks from late June until the middle of August with whorls of fragrant, tea cup-sized, lemon yellow blooms. Each bloom bursts open in a matter of seconds and is fully open in a minute or so. The large size of the blooms are amazing - atop 36 to 48 inch stems they will be the focal point wherever they are planted. A large plant can have several dozen booms open at the same time. During the night, the blossoms are pollinated by large moths -- often times as large as hummingbirds. Plant Oenothera glazioviana in the background of a border, along the back of a fence or around a porch or patio. Excellent in containers on a deck or patio. But be sure it is somewhere that their scent can be enjoyed! The fragrance is a fresh lemon and sweet honeysuckle blend. Stems can be cut, and with proper lighting, the blooms will open indoors for about a week.

Garden writer, Tina James, has helped make Oenothera glazioviana a legendary favorite of gardeners. There are even rumors that she has hosted "Evening Primrose Parties" -- inviting guests to watch the delightful blooms open. You can do the same in your own garden. All the blooms will open in a matter of 10 minutes right before your eyes, just like time lapse photography! This evening show will make your garden a popular place for neighbors and children who will love to celebrate this truly wondrous horticultural event.

Planting and Care
Oenothera glazioviana is a true biennial that should bloom this year. If not, for sure next year. Hint: If you regularly remove the developing seeds from half of your plants they may persist for several years. The other half can be allowed to drop their seeds in an unmulched area and make new plants to insure that the show keeps going on. Plant yours 24 inches apart in a sunny spot with well-drained soil. This 19th century European species is rarely offered for sale, so don't miss the opportunity to add these beauties to your garden!

  • For best results plant in early spring or late summer.

  • Plant in well-drained soil in full sun.

  • Fertilize with Flower-tone.

  • Hardy in zones 3 to 10.

  • Sold in sets of 5 cells for $19.85
    Our Garden Worthy Certification means that your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Order Now - 'Evening Primrose'
 Oenothera glazioviana

Garden Club Frequently Asked Questions
 

 

Question:  This winter, I didn't net my garden and deer did a pretty good job of "pruning" my plants. I didn't think anything would come back, but everything seems to be sprouting. Am I wasting my time netting the garden?

Answer: Absolutely not. Evergreen trees and shrubs will grow back vigorously after a single year of being "pruned" by deer. If the deer chew back your plants severely for several years, they will eventually dwindle and perish.

Question:  My mums are forming buds and look like they will be blooming in a matter of weeks. Does this mean that I will have no blooms in the fall?

Answer: Your mums will bloom in the fall if you cut back the spring buds and blooms by the 4th of July.

Question:  I want to plant a large ground cover of hostas. To save money, I was hoping to grow them from seed. Does this seem like a reasonable thing to do?

Answer: Hostas from seed take a couple of years to develop into reasonable size plants. To me a ground cover implies that you want all the hostas to be the same. Many hostas do not come true from seed and you will get a variable batch of seedlings. Hosta ventricosa is a good medium sized species with dark green leaves and purple flowers. It grows easily and comes true from seed.

Question: I have a question about my red maple. It started dying last year one branch at a time and it's losing its bark. It must be dead now because it has no leaves at all. Can you tell me what could have caused it? We moved here in 1966 and it was just a small tree about 5 feet tall, so it's old. Thank you.

Answer: Probably just old age. Although I have seen many that were much older, after about 30 years of age many
Japanese maples start to decline and perish. The drought a couple of years ago stressed many Japanese maples and made them more susceptible to decline a year or so later.

Question:  Our tulip magnolia blooms heavily in the spring and often has a few blooms in the summer and early fall. If I remove the seed pods now will I have more summer and fall blooms?

Answer: Removing the seed pods on many shrubs that have large blooms such as Rhododendrons, Lilacs and spring blooming Magnolias will encourage more blooms. However, whether those blooms will open this year or next is primarily dependent on climate. So, if you remove the seed pods you will almost surely get more blooms. But I can't assure you that these blooms will open precociously this summer and fall.

 

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