How to Grow Missouri Evening Primrose

As a born and raised Missourian, any plant with my home state in the name immediately earns my endearment.

But even for folks raised outside of the Show Me State, the Missouri evening primrose is quite worthy of affection.

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And just like Missouri, this herbaceous flowering perennial is absolutely gorgeous.

Its striking yellow blooms are unique among flowers: they open late in the day before closing up for good the following morning. Basically, it’s the botanical equivalent of a movie showing on opening night!

But don’t think for a second that this dazzle comes with delicacy. Tolerant of drought and shoddy soils, Oenothera macrocarpa can thrive where other flowers fear to put down roots.

Such toughness comes with low maintenance requirements, as well – no need to coddle the plant and tend to its every need like you would with a more dainty flower.

That being said, the Missouri evening primrose will look its best if you care for it properly. And in this guide, we’ll go over how to do just that.

Need specifics? Take a gander:

Hardy in USDA Zones 3 to 7, the Missouri evening primrose is a herbaceous flowering perennial of the Onagraceae, or the evening primrose family.

Native to the southern and central United States, the plant is often found growing naturally in dry forest clearings, along roadsides, in limey soils, and on well-lit and well-draining rocky bluffs.

Within the Onagraceae family, the Missouri evening primrose belongs to the Oenothera genus, comprising 140 or so species of sundrops and evening primroses.

While they