Evening Primrose Seed, Oenothera glaziowiana

Oenothera glazioviana is a species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family known by the common names large-flowered evening-primrose and redsepal evening primrose. Oenothera lamarckiana was formerly believed to be a different species, but is now regarded as a synonym of Oe. glazioviana

GROW: Start seeds of either type of evening primrose indoors in late winter or early spring, and expect germination in 10 days. Alternatively, sow seeds where you want the plants to grow or start with purchased plants. With a little practice, you can easily recognise evening primrose plants because of their pointed leaves with a white central leaf vein. Young plants need water to get established, but require little care once they are well rooted.

HARVEST: Empty brown seed pods, gathered in dry autumn weather, can make interesting additions to dried arrangements. The leaves, flowers, and seeds of yellow evening primrose are edible. Medicinal preparations are made from yellow evening primrose seeds. The plants are biennials, and they grow into a low basal rosette in their first year, stocking away energy into a thick tap root.  In the second year, they use all those stored calories to send up a tall flower stalk.

USE: The leaves, roots, flowers, and seeds of yellow evening primrose are edible. Medicinal preparations are made from yellow evening primrose seeds. If you harvest the roots in the early spring of their second year (or late Autumn of the first year), the roots are still sweet and nutritious before it’s begun sending up a flower shoot.