Flower
Common Name: evening primrose
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Onagraceae
Zone: 4 to 8
Height: 0.50 to 0.75 feet
Spread: 1.00 to 2.00 feet
Bloom Time: June to August
Bloom Description: Yellow
Sun: Full sun
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Ground Cover
Flower: Showy
Leaf: Colorful
Tolerate: Drought, Shallow-Rocky Soil
Culture
Easily grown in average, dry to medium moisture, sandy, well-drained soils in full sun. Tolerates some part afternoon shade and some drought. Suitable for lean, shallow, rocky soils.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Oenothera is a genus of about 125 species of annuals, biennials and herbaceous perennials mostly from North America with a few species from South America. They are grown from their lovely flowers in shades of yellow, white or pink depending upon the species.
Genus name is unclear but may have come from the Greek words oinos and theras meaning wine-seeker in probable reference to an ancient use of the roots of genus plants in scenting wine.
'Shimmer' is a low-growing, compact cultivar of evening primrose. Mature individuals have a mounding to spreading habit and reach around 8" tall with a 2' spread. Bright lemon yellow blooms (up to 2" in diameter) appear in early summer, with sporadic reblooming throughout the remainder of the summer. The silvery foliage (up to 4" long) is narrow and finely textured. Plant patent number PP19663 applies to this cultivar.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems.
Uses
Rock gardens, alpine gardens, and other well-draining sites with full sun. Suitable for xeriscaping. Foliage will form an attractive ground cover when massed. Containers.