Showy Evening Primrose is a true gem of North American wildflowers. These resilient blossoms are as tough as they are beautiful, flourishing, and expanding with minimal human intervention.
But how can you cultivate this botanical wonder in your own garden? Its simpler than you might think. In this blog post, well walk you through the steps to successfully grow and care for Showy Evening Primrose, as well as explore its uses and the benefits it brings to your outdoor spaces.
Showy Evening Primrose, or Oenothera speciosa, is a striking native American wildflower with four pink petals and yellow centers. This delicate-looking flower is also known as “Pink Ladies” and is surprisingly robust, growing and spreading rapidly without much care. You’ve probably seen these pink flowers many times when driving across the country, where their beauty as a mass planting is on full display. Their native range covers much of North America, from California to Florida and as far north as Pennsylvania.
The evening primrose plant (Oenothera biennis) is a common wildflower native to North America that has been prized for centuries both for its culinary and medicinal uses. Almost every part of this multi-purpose biennial can be utilized from its edible roots, leaves and seeds to its healing flowers and leaves. Let’s explore the many ways you can use this beneficial weed in your kitchen and apothecary.
An Overview of Evening Primrose
Evening primrose is a plant with a two year life cycle. The first year it produces a basal rosette of leaves and stores energy in a taproot. The second year, it sends up a tall flowering stalk reaching heights over 5 feet.
The leaves are lance-shaped with prominent veins The flowers have four bright yellow petals that bloom from mid to late summer They open in the evening, giving evening primrose its common name. After pollination, the flowers form long, narrow seed pods filled with reddish-brown seeds.
Evening primrose thrives in full sun areas with well-draining soil. It grows wild in many parts of North America, especially along roadsides meadows fields and disturbed sites. It has also become naturalized in some parts of Europe and Asia.
Eating the Nutritious Roots
The taproot of first year evening primrose plants can be dug up in early spring and eaten. The roots are starchy and nutrient-dense, with a sweet, mildly spicy flavor reminiscent of parsnips.
Try chopping the peeled roots into cubes and roasting them with olive oil, salt and pepper until caramelized. Or boil and mash them like potatoes, or add them to soups and stews as you would any root veggie. Boiling them in a few changes of water can mellow their flavor.
Using the Edible Leaves
Once evening primrose sends up its flowering stalk in year two, the young leaves closest to the ground can be eaten. They have a slightly bitter, spinach-like taste.
Chop the leaves and add them to omelets, pastas, soups, smoothies, pesto, or any dish calling for greens. Cook them by boiling, sautéing or steaming to cut the bitterness. Only use the leaves on the bottom third of the stalk.
Harvesting the Sweet Flowers
The bright yellow flowers that bloom in summer have a sweet, mild flavor. Add them to salads or use them to garnish desserts. Stuff the blossoms with soft cheese for appetizers, or use them to infuse vinegar or olive oil.
Pick the flowers in morning when just opened or evening when closing. Avoid pollinated flowers. The unopened buds can also be steamed and added to stir fries.
Collecting the Tasty Seeds
Once the seed pods dry and split open in late summer or fall, shake out and gather the small seeds inside. The seeds have a nutty, slightly sweet flavor.
Try eating them raw in granola or yogurt. Roast or toast them to bring out more flavor, then use as a topping for vegetables, grains and baked goods. Grind them to produce an aromatic oil for cooking.
Using Evening Primrose Medicinally
In addition to its food uses, evening primrose has a long history of medicinal applications. The seeds are cold pressed to extract evening primrose oil, used to treat skin conditions like eczema. The oil may also help relieve PMS symptoms and rheumatoid arthritis pain.
Teas made from the leaves and roots have served as energetic tonics and to treat GI complaints. The roots can be made into skin salves. More research is still needed, but the plant remains popular in herbal medicine.
Harvesting Evening Primrose Sustainably
When collecting evening primrose, harvest mindfully and selectively. Never overharvest or take more than you need. Avoid gathering it in protected natural areas without permission.
Only collect plants growing in public spaces or on your own property. Never harvest evening primrose that could have been sprayed with herbicides. Make sure to leave some seeds behind to propagate more plants.
Growing Evening Primrose in Your Garden
If you want easy access to evening primrose, consider planting it in your garden. Sow seeds in early spring in a sunny spot with well-draining soil. Space them 12 inches apart and water until established.
Mulch around the plants to help retain moisture. Be sure to dig up the roots after the first year so the plant doesn’t self-seed excessively. The plant adds beauty and is low maintenance.
Preserving Your Evening Primrose Bounty
To enjoy evening primrose all year long, preserve your harvest by:
- Freezing chopped roots or cooked leaves
- Drying leaves and flowers for tea
- Infusing flowers in oil or vinegar
- Pickling peeled, chopped roots
- Making a tincture with roots and leaves in alcohol
- Roasting and storing seeds in an airtight container
With its many uses, evening primrose is a great edible and medicinal plant for foragers, gardeners and homesteaders alike. Use this overview for ideas on benefiting from this versatile wildflower in your own kitchen and apothecary.
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Historical Medicinal Use of Evening Primrose
In spite of the “fact” that science hasnt assigned any benefits for Evening Primrose, it has been widely used for over 500 years in herbal medicine and is still used by many people.
- A tea was made from the Evening Primrose and used as a dietary aid or stimulant to treat laziness and âoverfatnessâ as well as senility and debility.
- A hot poultice made from the pounded Evening Primrose roots was applied externally to treat bruises, piles and boils. Native Americans used the whole plant for bruises and its roots for hemorrhoids.
- Evening Primrose roots were chewed and rubbed onto the muscles to improve strength.
- The plant was used to treat pain associated with menstruation as well as bowel pain. [4]
- Evening Primrose leaves were traditionally used for minor wounds, gastrointestinal complaints, and sore throats. [1]
Evening Primrose Herbal Use
Evening primrose herb is used extensively in herbal medicine and as a dietary supplement for many conditions.
Evening Primrose is cultivated for the oil contained in its seeds which contain certain the essential Gamma-linoleinc acid (GLA), a very valuable fatty acid that is not found in many plants. The seed oil is sold for skin care and use in cosmetics, and in soft-gels as a dietary supplement.
Preformed GLA is present in trace amounts in green leafy vegetables and nuts as well as the seeds of Evening Primrose, Borage, black currant and hemp seeds. The most significant source of GLA for infants is breast milk. GLA has numerous vital functions in the body. [2]
People use Evening Primrose oil dietary supplements for eczema (a condition involving red, swollen, itchy skin, sometimes caused by allergies), rheumatoid arthritis, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), breast pain, menopause symptoms, ADD, and other conditions. A small amount of evidence suggests that evening primrose oil might be helpful for diabetic neuropathy (nerve problems caused by diabetes). [1]
Uses and benefits of Evening Primrose have not been conclusively proven by science, according to the National Institute of Health. More research needs to be done.
Caterpillar feeding on Evening Primrose seed stalk.
The leaves of Evening Primrose have a prominent white mid- vein.
Evening Primrose: Identification, Edible Parts, and Tradition Medicinal Uses
FAQ
What part of the evening primrose plant is medicinal?
The bark and leaves are astringent and sedative and are used for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders, whooping cough, and asthma. Raw roots can be minced and marinated in salad vinaigrette for twenty minutes before use in salad.
How to make evening primrose oil from plants?
- Using a mortar and pestle, grind about 1/2 cup of primrose blossoms. …
- Grind the flowers until you have a teaspoon of the powdered substance.
- Now add about half a cup of olive oil (or something similar with as high a smoke point as possible) to the flower powder.
Is the evening primrose plant edible?
The young leaves of the common evening-primrose can be eaten as a salad. The fleshy roots are also edible as a cooked vegetable. The seeds are rich in beta-linolenic and gamma-linoleic acids that have important medicinal and therapeutic uses.