Plant Type

Ground cover, Perennial

 

Height Range

Under 1', 1-3'

 

Flower Color

Pink

 

Flower Season

Spring, Summer

 

Leaf Color

Green, Light Green

 

Bark Color

n/a

 

Fruit Color

n/a

 

Fruit Season

n/a

Sun

Full

 

Water

Low

 

Growth Rate

Fast

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular

 

Soil Condition

Average, Poor, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Neutral, Basic

 

Adverse Factors

Invasive

Design Styles

English Cottage, Meadow, Mediterranean, Ranch

 

Accenting Features

Showy Flowers

 

Seasonal Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall

 

Location Uses

Parking Strip, Raised Planter, With Rocks

 

Special Uses

Filler, Mass Planting, Naturalizing

 

Attracts Wildlife

Hummingbirds

Mexican evening primrose is a herbaceous perennial with white to pink flowers that mature to rosy pink. It grows to 10 to 20 inches tall and 18 inches wide, with erect to sprawling stems. Narrow, lance-like, medium green leaves sometimes have small lobes near the leaf bases. Flowers open in the evening and remain open to late morning (all day if overcast). Flowers are followed by oval, ridged, seed capsules. It can be a little aggressive, but in hot, dry parkstrips, that's a fabulous quality.

Grow in full sun in well drained soil. Tolerates clay or sandy soils, as long as they are well drained. Frost tolerant to 10 F. There are a number of cultivars available, including 'Rosea' selected for its consistent pink coloring, and 'Siskiyou,' slightly shorter than the species but with blooms that last all day.