Oenothera biennis Evening primrose (Onagraceae)

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Oenothera biennis
Evening primrose
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The Oenothera biennis plant species is found in Eastern N. America - Labrador, south to Florida and Texas. Naturalized in Britain. It is a member of the Onagraceae family. Common gardeners may know the plant as Evening primrose. Some home gardeners know the variety as Onagra biennis.

Cultivation | Propagation | General Uses
Medicinal | Edible Uses

Latin Name:  Oenothera biennis
Common Name:  Evening primrose
Family:  Onagraceae
Author:  L.

Known Hazards:  None known

Mature Height:  1.2   Mature Width:

Habitat:  Dunes, roadsides, railway banks and waste places in Britain[17], often in sandy soils[4].

Edible Uses: Root - cooked. Boiled and eaten like salsify[4, 12, 27, 33, 66]. Fleshy, sweet and succulent[74]. Wholesome and nutritious[2]. A peppery taste[159]. The taste somewhat resembles salsify or parsnips[183]. Young shoots - raw or cooked[2, 12, 52, 85, 183]. Mucilaginous, with a peppery flavour, they are best used sparingly[159]. Another source suggests that the shoots should not be eaten[9]. Flowers - sweet. Used in salads or as a garnish[183]. Young seedpods - cooked. Steamed[183]. The seed contains 28% of a drying oil[114]. It is edible and a very good source of gamma-linoleinc acid[141], an essential fatty acid that is not found in many plant sources and has numerous vital functions in the body. The seed, however, is very small and difficult to harvest, it has to be done by hand[160]. Overall yields are low, making the oil very expensive to produce.

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Cultivation | Propagation | General Uses
Medicinal | Edible Uses

The information above has been supplied solely via the hard work and dedication of the team at 'Plants for a Future'.
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