evening primrose

noun

1. a plant, Oenothera biennis, having yellow flowers that open at nightfall.
2. any of various plants of the same or related genera.

evening primrose

noun

1. any onagraceous plant of the genus Oenothera , native to North America but widely cultivated and naturalized, typically having yellow flowers that open in the evening

Word History and Origins

Origin of evening primrose¹

First recorded in 1800–10

Example Sentences

She began adding Cleveland sage, white sage, evening primrose, yellow lupine and other native plants in earnest, removing dead or poor-performing non-natives.

From Los Angeles Times

The desert sunflowers, purple sand verbena and white dune evening primrose were spectacular.

From Los Angeles Times

At field sites in eastern Washington, the researchers collected scent samples from pale evening primrose flowers.

From Science Daily

Compounds called nitrate radicals, which can be abundant in nighttime urban air, severely degrade the scent emitted by the pale evening primrose, reducing visits from pollinating hawk moths, researchers reported in Science on Thursday.

From New York Times

Mexican evening primrose is a beautiful pink-flowering ground cover that is still sold in garden centers and nurseries, but it is also extremely invasive.

From Seattle Times