Common Evening Primrose is a biennial wildflower that opens its bright yellow, four-petaled flowers at dusk and keeps them open through the night to attract moth pollinators. Native to eastern North America, it grows 2–6 feet tall in disturbed, open habitats. The flowers visibly unfurl in real time at sunset — a remarkable spectacle. Evening Primrose oil, extracted from the seeds, is widely sold as an herbal supplement. The roots and young leaves are edible.
Habitat
Found on roadsides, old fields, disturbed areas, and sandy or gravelly soils across North America.
Diet
Flowers pollinated by sphinx moths at night; seeds consumed by American goldfinch and other finches.
How common
Common
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