the evening primrose
The evening primrose (Oenothera Biennis) only shows its true beauty as shadows lengthen. A regular visitor to the plant is the twilight moth. With her silent flickering wings and in the fading light she then pollinates the evening primrose which gives off a much stronger scent at night when the moths are on the wing. Several males would then appear and display a dance for her, a lek. Other moths that visit this nectar-rich plant are the ghost moth, and the much shier primrose moth, both of which are also pollinators. The paler faces of the much smaller and delicate primroses however, are pollinated by the beetle and bloom in spring.
Flowering Pattern
The evening primrose, which is a biennial plant (flowering only in its second year), flowers from late June to September. By regularly dead heading the spent flowers, the primrose sends a message of panic to the parent plant, for the developing seed heads of the primrose are the children of the plant, so many more flowers are then produced, thus extending the flowering season even further. This is worth remembering for all our garden plants.
Cultivation
Evening primrose originates from North America; it prefers a sandy alluvium soil as its growing medium. Therefore a good place to watch the many linnets and goldfinches which feast on its rich oily seeds during the autumn and winter months would be our coastal seaside areas. It loves the deep sand which provides a good root run and free drainage also the protection of the sand dunes. It also grows freely on open uncultivated land. There are also cultivated varieties which you can grow at home in your garden.
Uses & Benefits of the Evening Primrose
The entire plant of the evening primrose is edible and very nutritious, for this plant has both culinary and medicinal uses. Its leaves can be used in salads along with its showy flowers, the leaves can also be cooked as a green vegetable, its roots are sweet and peppery and delicious cooked like potatoes. The oil from this plant, which has a high percentage of GLA (Gamma Linoleic Acid), is used as an ointment for many varied skin conditions including eczema, psoriasis, conditions of the scalp, acne and dry skin. It is readily available in capsule form for the treatment of PMS, period pains and breast discomfort, and has also become popular in the treatment of arthritis and rheumatism. You should always consult your GP before you consider taking any herbal supplements.
There are many other uses for the oil: it is used in cosmetics, herbal creams and lotions, perfumes, and is a good carrier for essential oils. It can also accelerate the healing of wounds and is thought to help with baldness and premature ageing. Many years ago, the old herbalists used this plant as a tincture for the treatment of laziness.
These robust and wonderful wild flowers seem to grow almost in spite of themselves, being many times stronger than any cultivated plants. By looking for beauty in dark places it strengthens ones own belief that in the darkness and uncertainties of life, we can always find hope if only we look. For the wonders that surround us are so numerous that they would exceed the bounds of any book.
