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Pink evening primrose

16 years ago

My gardening friend bought me and planted a pink evening primrose in my herb garden - I think it's probably the Mexican Evening Primrose. It's Oenothera speciosa, and like all evening primroses, while pretty, it is becoming a thug! I don't mind this too much IF it has the same medicinal and culinary uses as Oenothera biennis, the yellow evening primrose. But I can't find any information anywhere on the pink one.

Can anyone point me in the right direction? If it has no useful purpose, I'll get my friend to dig it out before it gets completely out of hand, and replace it with the 'normal' one. (While I'm very grateful for his help, I do wish he'd check with me first before buying plants for my garden!! He's planted several other thugs, too!)

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Comments (5)

Heathen1
16 years ago
I don't know of any.... it's just a plain thug here. Planting them is basis for serious arguing here (I am understating this) . I have never heard of anyone using it for medicine, but you may look up Mexican sources.
ksrogers
16 years ago
I bought a primrose, and it hated heat and sun, and quickly died.
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CA Kate z9
16 years ago
Daisy: I looked in every Herbal book I own and only Oenothera bennis is listed as an herbal.

Mexican Evening Primrose, aka Pink Ladies and Showy Evening Primrose, is Oenothera speciosa, aka Oenothera berlandieri and "Siskiyou Pink"; and no where is it called an herbal.
Daisyduckworth
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks all. After doing my own research, I've come to the conclusion that this plant MUST GO. Shame, it's very pretty, but it's spreading like wildfire, and if it's useless, it has no place in my garden.

ksrogers: It's in full sun, in the heat of subtropical Australia in midsummer, and going gangbusters! Perhaps a blowtorch would kill it?
Heathen1
16 years ago
It's planted here because it LOVES 110 degree heat and drought. Anything from Mexico has to be able to tolerate extreme heat. Too much water may kill it, but if it lives for Daisy then that's not the case. :o) There are few plants that I would never plant and vinca and oenothera are two of them. I'll buy the e.p. oil if I need it. :D

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