Image of Oenothera parviflora
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image of Flowering plant
Oenothera parviflora
Small-flowered Evening-primrose
Onagre parviflore

Obsolete Names

least evening-primrose
northern evening-primrose
onagre à petites fleurs
onagre muriquée
No seeds available for this plant.
We currently accept seeds for this plant
Bloom colour: Yellow Bloom period: Jul - Oct
Max Height: 4.0 feet
Max Width: 2.0 feet
Light condition:
Full sun More than 6 hours of direct sun a day
Soil conditions:
Moisture dry Tolerates dry soil condition
Lifespan: Biennial plants that will take two years to bloom, and then will die
Gardener Experience:
does not spread Does not spread uncontrollably
plant germinate easy Easy to germinate
plant self seeding Self-seeding
Landscape uses:
rock garden Suitable for rock gardens
container suitable Suitable for container garden
school garden Suitable for school gardens
foot traffic tolerant Tolerates foot traffic
Ecological Benefits: No ecological benefits information available.
Tolerates:
foot traffic Tolerant Tolerates foot traffic
juglone Tolerant Tolerates juglone conditions
Special Features and Considerations:

Plant Location

Native to Ottawa region: Yes

Distribution according to VASCAN

Distribution: Oenothera parviflora
Ephemeral Native Introduced Excluded Extirpated Doubtful Absent
View taxonomy on Canadensys

View on iNaturalist

Thrives in Ecozones

  • Atlantic Maritime
  • Prairies
  • Boreal Shield
  • Mixed Wood Plains

Ecological Benefits

Butterflies Supported by Oenothera parviflora

  • Eudryas unio (Pearly Wood Nymph)
  • Hyles lineata (White lined Sphinx)
  • Mompha eloisella (Red streaked Mompha)
  • Schinia florida (Primrose)

Specialized Bees Supported by Oenothera parviflora

  • Lasioglossum oenotherae
Plants that grow in similar conditions, that bloom at the same time.

Complementary Plants

  • No complementary plants found.

Substitute For Non-Native Plants

  • Oenothera (Non-Native Primrose)
  • Oenothera biennis (Evening Primrose Cultivars)
  • Oenothera fructicosa (Sundrops Cultivars)

Sowing Information

Download Sowing Label (PDF)
  • Sowing depth: Surface sow
  • Sow anytime
  • Stratification duration: 45 days
  • Self-seeding

Harvesting and Seed Sharing

  • Harvest start month: September
  • Harvesting indicator: Pods are brown, seeds are dark, and crisp, and little stem connecting the pod to the main stem is brown (not green)
  • Harvesting mean: Cut stem (including pods), let air dry in paper bag, then shake seeds off after a few days
  • Seed viability test: No test needed before donating
  • Packaging measure: 1 rounded 1/32 teaspoon
  • Seed storage: Air dry in paper bag or open container, for a few days until crisp, shaking seeds to move them once in a while to prevent molding
  • At least one cultivar: Yes, do not donate unless you know source, and there are no known cultivars in your garden or at proximity
  • Remove non seed material
  • No harvesting video available at this time.

Toxicity Notes

Inadequate information on toxicity found.