Oenothera laciniata

Cutleaf Evening-primrose

Onagraceae

Also known as Raimannia laciniata

Plant Specifics

Form:	Shrub
Size:	4 to 18 inches ft tall by 2 to 5 ft. ft wide
Life Span:	Biennial
Flower Color:	Yellow
Fruit Color:	Green
Phenology:	Winter dormant
Noted for:	Showy flowers

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:	Can be grown as a groundcover but probably best welcomed into a multi-species planting where its flowers bring color to an planting of low greenery.
Considerations:	This species can be weedy.
Propagation:	By root division and seed. Following fertilization, the ovary of the flower will morph into a capsule. As the seeds mature, the capsule will dry-out and eventually split, releasing the seeds. Readily self-seeds, the seeds can remain viable for many years. Seeds available at Native American Seed (seedsource.com)
Availability:	Seed
Light:	Full Sun,  Part Shade
Moisture Tolerance:	always floodedextremely dry
	(Not wet but not extremely dry ----- to ----- Very long very dry periods)
Moisture Tolerance:	Not wet but not extremely dry ----- to ----- Very long very dry periods
Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:	Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
Salt Spray/ Salty Soil Tolerance:	Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray.
Soil or other substrate:	Lime rock, Sand
Soil pH:	Neutral to calcareous

Ecology

Wildlife:	Bobwhite, mourning dove and gold finches feed on the seeds
Insects:	Attracts native bees, butterflies and moths.  Especially interesting to native bees.
Native Habitats:	Cutleaf evening-primrose is found most often in sandy and limerock based soils, and favors disturbed areas.

Distribution and Planting Zones

Comments

Ethnobotany:	The seeds and leaves of this plant used for food and medicinal applications by the Cherokee.
General Comments:	As the name infers, the flowers of this plant open at night. Once the sun starts coming up, the flowers will begin to wilt. By night fall the flowers are spent.