Evening Primrose (Oenothera biensis)

Photograph copyright — Patsy Collins

Oenothera biensis is a hardy biennial that forms a rosette of soft, green leaves in the first year and then grows to about four feet when it flowers in its second year. The large, simple flowers are produced over a long period during summer and autumn. As the name suggests, the scented primrose coloured blooms open in the evening. Evening primrose grows easily on almost any soil and copes well with shade and competition from…