Description

Oenothera macrocarpa description:

Massive, rich golden flowers through the summer and into early autumn.
The flowers open in the late afternoon.

A pollinator friendly plant including bees.
This is a butterfly friendly plant.

How easy is it to grow:
This has won the RHS Award of Garden Merit [1]. To win this impressive accolade the plants must have outstanding excellence for decorating a garden, be robust, not require highly specialist growing conditions or care and not be particularly susceptible to any pest or disease.

Good for the front of a border, or a wildlife area, but it does need a soil that is well drained, so do not try if you’ve got a clay or heavy soil. Also it can be short-lived, but there is a chance that it will reseed itself.

Buy perennials with confidence because we tell you it straight.

Common names: Missouri Primrose, Evening Primrose and Ozark Sundrops.

Also known as: Oenothera missouriensis.

The best position in the garden:

Requires sun.

Is it useful as a groundcover plant?

Yes, it makes a solid green low mound.

What type of soil:

Well drained soil, also tolerates acidic soil and chalky soil.

How much moisture:

Normal moisture or dryish stony.

Hardiness and, or, lifespan:

Hardy, provided the drainage is good. Tends to be biennial, but it does gently reseed itself.

Care and maintenance:

When newly planted always keep it watered until the roots have grown down and it is able to find its own moisture.

Size of plant:

Height 30 cm.
Spread 50 cm.

Planting density – to calculate how many plants are required in a planting scheme:

Allow 4 plants per square metre.

Buy perennials and alpines.

Reference:
[1] Royal Horticultural Society – opens in a separate window.