Pink Evening Primrose
Oenothera speciosa

Few of our Texas wildflowers are as dependable as this durable perennial.  Its small leaves and wiry stems belie the gorgeous display it puts on as bluebonnets and Indian paintbrushes begin to fade.  This particular primrose's flowers vary from plant-to-plant in shades of rosy pink, pale pink and creamy white.  Individual plants will grow 12 to 15 inches tall and 15 to 20 inches wide, and it's nothing uncommon to see a dozen or more flowers per plant during peak bloom.  The flowers open in late afternoon and persist well into the next day. In cooler weather, they will often stay open into the second day.

As beautiful as pink evening primrose is on Texas' hillsides and roadways, it's not a plant you want to see in your landscape.  It spreads by underground stems called rhizomes, and it's difficult to eliminate if it gets a start in shrub and groundcover beds.

Remember, too, the yellow-flowering species of evening primroses.  There are several types, most with 3-inch, sunshine-yellow blossoms.  They are far less invasive, and they tend to bloom a bit earlier than the pink species.