Oenothera Longissima, Tall Yellow Evening Primrose
Plants > Wildflowers > Onagraceae > Oenothera Longissima
Common names:
Tall yellow evening primrose, longstem evening primrose
Family:
Scientific name:
Oenothera longissima
Main flower color:
Range:
The four Corners states, and the Mojave Desert of California and Nevada
Height:
Up to 9 feet
Habitat:
Moist locations in scrubland and pinyon-juniper forests
Leaves:
Lanceolate, alternate, up to 8 inches long and over an inch wide, with a strong whitish midvein
Season:
May to September
The reddish green stems of oenothera longissima are thick and rigid, growing upwards of 9 feet tall in favorable locations, bearing long, lance-shaped, grey-green leaves at alternate intervals of 1 to 2 inches. Leaf edges are somewhat wavy and lined with small teeth, sometimes barely so.
The large yellow flowerheads grow from a narrow green or reddish tube (the hypanthium) which can be up to 5 inches in length - much longer than some similar species; hence the species name longissima. Petals can be over 2 inches in length, often irregularly presented, with crinkled edges. The stamens and four-lobed stigma at the center are also all-yellow. Petals become orange as they start to wither. Underneath the petals are four green sepals, similar in length but narrower.
The large yellow flowerheads grow from a narrow green or reddish tube (the hypanthium) which can be up to 5 inches in length - much longer than some similar species; hence the species name longissima. Petals can be over 2 inches in length, often irregularly presented, with crinkled edges. The stamens and four-lobed stigma at the center are also all-yellow. Petals become orange as they start to wither. Underneath the petals are four green sepals, similar in length but narrower.
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