bigfruit evening primrose
Oenothera macrocarpa
Its enormous four-winged seed pods can grow up to three inches long and act like mini tumbleweeds, catching the wind to scatter seeds.
- Scientific name
- Oenothera macrocarpa
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Myrtales › Onagraceae › Oenothera
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Limestone glades, rocky prairies, barrens, and roadside slopes.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (photosynthesis)
- Range
- Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska
- Size
- 8-12 inches tall, trailing up to 3 feet wide; flowers 3-5 inches across.
- Lifespan
- 5-10 years
- Active
- crepuscular
- Threats
- Habitat fragmentation, agricultural expansion, and invasive woody species shading out glades.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and safe to approach. Observe these stunning yellow flowers at dusk to watch them rapidly bloom. Avoid picking the wild flowers to allow natural seed dispersal.
Oenothera macrocarpa , the bigfruit evening primrose , Ozark sundrop or Missouri evening primrose , is a species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family Onagraceae, native to Mexico and the south-central United States, where it is found in calcareous prairies and limestone outcrops.
Photo: no rights reserved, CC0, via iNaturalist
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