Southwest Desert Flora

Scientific Name: Oenothera elata
Common Name: Hooker's Evening Primrose
Also Called: Hooker's Eveningprimrose, Hooker's Evening-primrose, Western Eveningprimrose
Family: Onagraceae, Evening Primrose Family
Synonyms: (Oenothera hookeri)
Status: Native
Duration: Biennial, perennial
Size: Up to 8 feet.
Growth Form: Forb/herb; erect, usually without branches.
Leaves: Green; soft-pubescent, alternate, lanceolate oblanceolate or narrowly elliptic, margins with widely-spaced teeth.
Flower Color: Yellow tinged red, fading reddish-orange; large showy flowers, fruit a woody capsule.
Flowering Season: July to October; June to September in Texas.
Elevation: 3,500 to 9,500 feet.

Habitat Preferences: Damp moist places.

Recorded Range: Hooker's Evening Primrose is found throughout the western half of the United States in AZ, CA, CO, ID, KS, MT, NM, NV, OK, OR, TX, UT, WA, WY. It is also native to Baja California and Mexico. In Arizona it is found throughout most of the state.

North America & US County Distribution Map for Oenothera elata.

U.S. Weed Information: No information available.
Invasive/Noxious Weed Information: No information available.

Wetland Indicator: In North America Oenothera elata has the following wetland designations; Arid West FACW; Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, FACW; Eastern Mountains and Piedmont, FACU; Great Plains, FACW; Midwest, FACW; Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coast, FACW.
FACW = Facultative Wetland, usually occur in wetlands, but may occur in non-wetlands
FACU = Facultative Upland, usually occur in non-wetlands, but may occur in wetlands.

Threatened/Endangered Information: No information available.

Genus Information: Over 80 species in Oenothera throughout all of North America. 24 or so species in Arizona and California, 28 or so species in New Mexico and 47 or so species in Texas.

The Plant List includes 706 scientific plant names of species rank for the genus Oenothera. Of these 150 are accepted species names.

Oenothera elata has 2 sub-species;
Oenothera elata subsp. hirsutissima, Hooker's Evening Primrose (Range above);
Oenothera elata subsp. hookeri, Hooker's Evening Primrose (CA).

Comments: Also see in Southwest Desert Flora: Tufted Evening Primrose, Oenothera caespitosa; California Suncup, Oenothera californica; Crownleaf Evening Primrose, Oenothera coronopifolia; Velvetweed, Oenothera curtiflora; Dune Evening Primrose, Oenothera deltoides; Large Yellow Desert Primrose, Oenothera primiveris; Rose Evening Primrose, Oenothera rosea; Mexican Evening Primrose, Oenothera speciosa and Scarlet Beeblossom, Oenothera suffrutescens.