Evening Primrose
Evening Primrose is a herb in the Onagraceae family. It grows best in full sun to part shade with dry to medium moisture, and is listed for USDA zones 4-9. Plants reach harvest about 620–840 days after planting and sit about 12 inches apart.
Varieties
1 from Seeds Now · sorted by days to maturity▸King’s Cure-All620–840 days
The night-flowering Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis) has delicate four-petal lemon-scented lemon-yellow 2" blossoms that close every day by noon, opening again in the late afternoon and evening. Plants grow 2'-6' tall on hairy stems tinged with purple. Also called King’s Cure-All for its herbal and medicinal properties. Life cycle: Biennial Bloom season: Spring, summer, fall Attracts: Birds, bees, butterflies, moths, and other pollinators Flower meaning: Bashfulness, inconstancy, longevity, youth
Growing notes: Botanical name: Oenothera biennis|Hardiness zones: 4-9|Planting season: Spring, summer|Days to maturity: 2nd year|Cold stratify: Yes|Depth to plant seeds: Lightly cover - seeds need light to germinate|Spacing between plants: 12"-18" apart|Days to germinate (sprout): 15-30 days|Germination soil temps: 65F-70F|Soil types: Sandy, loamy, rich, well-drained|Soil pH: 5.5-7.5|Water needs: Average|Sun needs: Full sun, part shade|Frost tolerant: No|Drought tolerant: Yes|Deer resistant: Yes
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Plant spacing
In a square-foot bed, space evening primrose about 12 in apart — that fits 1 plant in each 1-foot square (1×1). Wider rows or containers space the same.
Plan your evening primrose planting
Add evening primrose to a free GardenDraft plan and get sow, transplant, and harvest dates computed for your ZIP code — with a drag-and-drop bed layout and reminders when it’s time to plant.
Start your free plan →At a glance
Storing & preserving
Refrigerate stems in water, or wrap in a damp towel for a few days.
- Dry: Dehydrate or air-dry, then store airtight away from light.
- Freeze: Freeze chopped in oil or water in ice-cube trays.
General home-preservation guidance — for tested processing times and safety, follow the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
Growing timeline
Care & troubleshooting
No curated care & troubleshooting advice for evening primrose yet. Our extension-sourced library currently focuses on common edible crops; we're expanding it over time.