Oenothera glazioviana
Large-Flower Evening Primrose
a biennial member of the Oenothera genus in the family Onagraceae.
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Onagraceae
- Genus
- Oenothera
- Life cycle
- biennial
- Height
- 1.5 m
- Fertility
- self fertile
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
- Pollinators
- Lepidoptera, Bees, Self
Uses
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Root - cooked. Boiled and eaten like salsify[4]. Fleshy and succulent. Young shoots - raw or cooked[4]. Mild and inoffensive[4] Seed contains 28% of a drying oil[2]. It is edible and a very good source of gammalinolenic acid[3], an essential fatty acid that is not found in many plant sources and has numerous vital functions in the body. Difficult to harvest, it has to be done by hand[5].
- Plant part
- Leaves
- Product or use
- Oil
- Plant part
- Root
Medicinal uses
Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
The oil in the seeds is anticholesterolemic, astringent, hypotensive, sedative[8][7]. Reduces cholesterol levels[9]. Research suggests that the oil is potentially very valuable in the treatment of multiple sclerosis, pre-menstrual tension, hyperactivity etc[9].
- Product or use
- Anticholesterolemic
- Product or use
- Astringent
- Product or use
- Hypotensive
- Product or use
- Miscellany
- Product or use
- Sedative
Environment
- Range
- A hybrid of garden origin, probably O. grandiflora x O. elata.
- Habitat
- Not known in the wild[6].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- no shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 3+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Drainage
- well drained
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - sow in situ from late spring to early summer.
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Prefers a dryish well-drained sandy loam and full sun[1][6]. Heavy clay soils may induce winter rots[6]. Succeeds on poor soils[6]. The flowers open in the evening, they are richly scented and are very attractive to moths[8]. The seeds are a good food source for birds, especially finches[6]. The plants of this species are of hybrid origin and usually mutate freely[1]. Usually self-sows freely if in a suitable position[K].
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
Chakravarty. H. L. The Plant Wealth of Iraq.
Carruthers. S. P. (Editor) Alternative Enterprises for Agriculture in the UK. Centre for Agricultural Strategy, Univ. of Reading 1986-00-00 ISBN 0704909820
Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-00-634436-4
Natural Food Institute, Wonder Crops. 1987.
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-553-23827-2
Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Freethy. R. From Agar to Zenery. The Crowood Press 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-946284-51-2