// SPECIES PROFILE · PERENNIAL · NATIVE

Missouri Evening Primrose

Oenothera macrocarpa

Missouri evening primrose opens enormous lemon-yellow saucer flowers in late afternoon — they last one night, fade to pink the next day, and repeat continuously through summer. A short, sprawling, exceptionally drought-tolerant native perfect for rock gardens, hellstrips, and dry borders.

// QUICK FACTS

Family: Onagraceae
Group: perennial
Native range: S. Great Plains incl. OK rocky prairies
USDA hardiness: Zones 4–8
Mature size: 6–12 in
Sun: Full sun
Water: Dry · sharp drainage
Wildlife value: Hawkmoths pollinate evening flowers
Ecological role: OK native · large yellow blooms · drought-tough rock garden

Missouri Evening Primrose (Oenothera macrocarpa) — *Oenothera macrocarpa*. Photo via Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons.

Field Notes

[ growing · ecology · siting · care ]

Why it's on this list: OK native · large yellow blooms · drought-tough rock garden. Part of Rooted Revival's NE Oklahoma plant catalog — natives, ecologically positive non-invasive cultivars, and food crops worth growing in the Tulsa region.

Companion Planting

[ guild · polyculture · cross-layer pairings ]

In a dry mixed-grass prairie planting, missouri evening primrose pairs naturally with: new jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus), big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), aromatic aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium), buffalograss (Bouteloua dactyloides), black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia hirta), and little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium).

Combine missouri evening primrose with the warm-season grasses listed above for a self-sustaining matrix.

Photo Reference

// Oenothera macrocarpa — natural habitat
Photo: cicadaseeker (iNaturalist, CC BY-NC)

// Oenothera macrocarpa — flower & foliage
Photo: cicadaseeker (iNaturalist, CC BY-NC)

// Oenothera macrocarpa — habit
Photo: cicadaseeker (iNaturalist, CC BY-NC)

// Oenothera macrocarpa — field view
Photo: cicadaseeker (iNaturalist, CC BY-NC)