Whitestem Evening Primrose
Oenothera albicaulis
Whitestem evening primrose opens large white flowers at dusk that fade pink by morning, a night-bloomer of dry western plains pollinated by hawkmoths. Like other evening primroses, the seedpod, seed, root, and young shoots have all served as food, mostly minor or emergency fare rather than a staple.
- Family
- Onagraceae
- Type
- wildflower
- Lifespan
- annual
- Height
- 0.5–1.5 ft
- Spacing
- 1–1.5 ft apart
- Light
- sun
- Soil moisture
- dry, moist
- Soil pH
- neutral, alkaline
- Bloom
- April, May, June, July
- Bloom colors
- white
- Wildlife value
- pollinators, butterflies, larval host
- Caterpillar hosts
- ~16 butterfly & moth species
- Landscape uses
- border, container
- Native states
- AZ, CO, IL, KS, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OK, SD, TX, UT, WY
Related native plants
More Oenothera species
- Tufted Evening Primrose (Oenothera caespitosa)
- Pink Evening Primrose (Oenothera speciosa)
- Common Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis)
- Hooker's Evening Primrose (Oenothera elata)
- Scarlet Beeblossom (Oenothera suffrutescens)
- Birdcage Evening Primrose (Oenothera deltoides)