Hello Sunshine!

The Summer solstice in June is one of my favorite times of the year. It means I’m as far away from winter as I can get where we live here in Michigan. A landscape plant that like clockwork seems to celebrate the same every year is Oenothera. This plant is commonly known as Evening Primrose or Sundrops. There are a number of species and varieties of Oenothera. A good general rule of “green thumb” for the gardener is that if they’re in bloom in the morning or during the day and they’re 6 to 18 inches in height they are “Sundrops.” If they are taller and open only in the evening hours (called vespertime flowers or nocturnal flowers) they would be “Evening Primrose”. If you’re keeping score at home and want to try some in your garden you will probably find the “Sundrops” as Oenothera fruiticosa or missouriensis. The “Evening Primrose” would probably be found as Oenothera biennis or odorata. Finally, if you’re in to pink there are some great pink varieties out there too! Let the sun shine!

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