Common Evening-primrose

Oenothera biennis

SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

Biennial with a fleshy root and leafy stems to 1.5m tall. Flowers are yellow, four-petalled, fragrant and open in the evening. Fruits are long and slender, and contain numerous tiny seeds.

DISTRIBUTION

Native to North America, and naturalized in most of Europe.

USES

Root may be boiled and has a sweet flavour like parsnip. Leaves, seeds and root are used either as an infusion or for extracting an oil. Used for a variety of conditions, including premenstrual syndrome, hyperactivity, high blood pressure and arthritis, and widely employed in cosmetics.