Common name:
Hooker's evening primrose
Family:
Scientific name:
Oenothera elata
Synonym:
Oenothera hookeri
Main flower color:
Range:
The Pacific states, east to the southern Great Plains
Height:
Up to 7 feet
Habitat:
Moist locations; wet meadows, streamsides
Leaves:
Lanceolate to oblanceolate, up to 10 inches long, with toothed edges
Season:
May to August
Oenothera elata is one of the tallest members of this large genus, reaching heights of up to 7 feet, in California; plants further east are just a little shorter. The upwards-pointing leaves are also quite long, lined by regular teeth, and covered by very fine, short hairs. Flowerheads (2 to 3 inches in diameter) are composed of four yellow to orange petals, notched at the tip and sometimes with gaps between the edges, above four thinner green sepals, similar in length.
Like all members of this genus, the flower center contains eight stamens, with flat anthers attached at their middle, and a four-lobed stigma. Buds and stems have a covering of relatively long hairs. This is an easily spotted species; plants produce several stems growing close together, and foliage is abundant.
Like all members of this genus, the flower center contains eight stamens, with flat anthers attached at their middle, and a four-lobed stigma. Buds and stems have a covering of relatively long hairs. This is an easily spotted species; plants produce several stems growing close together, and foliage is abundant.
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