PlantFiles: Missouri Evening Primrose, Ozark Sundrop
Oenothera missouriensis

I started mine from seed in pots last summer, chosen by chance (it was one of the few perennial seed packets left in the store in July). The seedlings were planted in September in a small raised bed with some Oenothera Lemon Drops (much smaller flowers) and a shrub rose. They have done extremely well returning this spring and in bloom since June. I love the flowers - they look so delicate and almost translucent.

Even if you live in Missouri, don't venture to plant this in poor draining, rich clay soil, as I did, unless it's for a nobler cause. Even though I amended the soil with sand, it flops and stays that way with the onset of the early Spring rains. Nevertheless, I have retained the plants because I love its early Spring blooming lemon yellow flowers, and more importantly the fact that I wanted to attract more of the stately, giant green with red accent colored Luna Moths in my garden near the eastern Kansas / western Missouri border. Fortunately, I've been successful in attracting more of these magnificent creatures that pollinate this plant in the evening. All's well that end's well.

Love this plant. Have had it several years doesn't seem to invasive to me. I have it surounded by small river rock & the plastic? weed barrier, around it with mulch on top. Stays in about a 2 1/2 ft. area.

Here in zone !0a ( SanFrancisco Bay Area) , Oenothera missouriensis blooms all Summer long with deadheading . Its a tough and showy groundcover and with a sidedress of compost blooms like crazy . Real nice spreading over a rock wall . I fell in love with it while visiting Arizona and never thought it would winter over here in our frost free zone. Mine is now 3 years old and not behaving invasively. I cut it back severely in November.

This plant does produce a few new seedlings each year, but they are a welcome (and limited) spreader in the front of the border. And the little plants that sprout are very easy to move. The bright, cool lemon yellow is a nice contrast to the more golden coreopsis that takes over my garden this time of year. Sundrop flowers from late May through the end of June, with a few flowers blooming throughout the summer.

Great xeriscape plant. The flowers are fun, but the seed pods are intriguing.

Although these little guys do tend to be aggressive, the color and their toughness in the right area makes them worth having!

I'm in zone 5, and because I was told in advance that they were possibly invasive, I planted them in an area where I wouldn't have to worry. I have an area at the top of my pond that seems to resist cultivation - no matter how hard I try, the weeds tend to take over every year during the summer and I've not had a good track record with other species I planted there - it's in full sun and moist to wet all summer due to drainage from the woods. The sundrops love it! They've now traveled from their spot above the pond, down through the rocks to the rim of the pond and put on a wonderful show for a few weeks each summer. For me, they're definitely an asset!

It adds interesting foliage, and it's gorgeous during it's early bloom time. When it stops blooming, it's just sort of blah.

The flower blooms from May-July.....it is a perennial. does well in drought areas.
Linda