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Hooker's Evening Primrose

Oenothera elata ssp. hookeri

true

1 Gallon

Hooker's Evening Primrose

In stock

3'x3'

Sizes:

Hooker’s Evening Primrose — Oenothera elata ssp. hookeri

Also known as: Tall Evening Primrose, Common Evening Primrose, Evening Primrose

Hooker’s Evening Primrose is a tall, showy California native with large, fragrant yellow flowers that open in the evening and remain open into the following morning. Plants form a leafy base before sending up upright flowering stems, typically reaching about 3–5 feet in a garden setting, although flower stalks can grow taller when conditions are favorable. The bright yellow flowers are particularly beautiful at dusk, when their fragrance and nighttime nectar attract moths and other evening pollinators.

Unlike many of the dry-desert plants we grow, Hooker’s Evening Primrose is naturally associated with places where additional moisture is available, including riparian areas, stream edges, moist slopes, and other seasonally wet habitats. In the low desert, think of this as a riparian garden plant. It is a good choice for planting around a pond, as part of a riparian habitat garden, or in an area of the landscape that naturally collects or retains more water. It will need regular irrigation here and should not be treated like our drought-adapted desert evening primroses.

Plant Hooker’s Evening Primrose in partial sun or filtered shade in the Coachella Valley, with protection from our intense afternoon sun. In a riparian planting, surrounding vegetation can provide some of this natural overhead protection. Give it well-drained soil that receives consistent moisture rather than remaining continuously saturated.

Flowering generally occurs from late spring through summer. After flowering, long seed capsules develop along the stems. Hooker’s Evening Primrose can reseed readily where moisture is available, which can be an advantage in a naturalistic riparian habitat where plants are allowed to move and establish themselves. Remove developing seed capsules if spreading is not desired.

The large evening flowers make this an especially valuable addition to a moth and nighttime pollinator garden. White-lined Sphinx Moths (Hyles lineata), one of our most familiar local sphinx moths, visit evening primrose flowers and use Oenothera as a caterpillar host. Native bees and other daytime insects may continue visiting flowers that remain open into the morning. The seeds can also provide food for seed-eating birds.

Wildlife Value

Host Plant: White-lined Sphinx Moth (Hyles lineata)

Nectar Source: White-lined Sphinx Moth (Hyles lineata); other nighttime moths

Bird Resources: Seeds; Insects

Bird Species: Seed-eating birds may forage on the mature seeds.

Bees: Native bees, including evening-primrose-associated bees

Plant Care

Native region:

California Native

Water needs:

Moderate

Exposure:

Filtered Sun

Mature size:

3'x3'

Growth rate:

Fast

Flower color:

Yellow

Flower season:

Spring; Summer

Pruning:

Cold Hardiness:

10 degrees

Nectar-producing:

Yes

Attracts pollinators:

Yes

Nighttime pollinators:

Yes

Butterflies or Moths:

Yes

Monarchs:

Larval host:

Yes

Bees:

Yes

Bats:

Yes

Birds:

Yes

Nest site:

Nest materials:

Rabbit-resistant:

Tortoises:

Growing Plants in the Desert — Important Information

The information presented here is, to the best of my knowledge, accurate and based on reliable research, personal experience in my own garden, observations from other gardens I’ve visited, and time spent studying plants in their native habitats. I always welcome your feedback and experiences to help me continue educating others!

Cacti:
In my experience, cacti are much happier in filtered shade here in the low desert of the Coachella Valley. Their colors are more vibrant and they tend to bloom more profusely, especially the non-native varieties. If you look closely at how our native barrel cactus and beavertail prickly pear grow in the wild, you’ll often find them tucked among rocks or beneath the shelter of creosote and other shrubs.

⚠️ A note of caution: Cacti and succulents are often illegally collected from the wild, which not only damages plant populations but also disturbs entire ecosystems. In some cases, wild populations of cacti have even gone extinct because of this practice. When purchasing these plants, always be sure they’ve been legally obtained. Look for nursery-grown stock or plants with a native plant certification, and keep that documentation for your records.

Light Requirements:
In our desert (Sonoran/Colorado), “full sun” doesn’t always mean what you might think. Many so-called full-sun plants benefit from and actually appreciate some late-afternoon filtered light—especially during the intense summer months.