Description
Missouri Evening Primrose (Oenothera macrocarpa), also called Ozark Sundrops or Bigfruit Evening Primrose, is a tough, low-growing native known for its large, bright yellow flowers. Blooming from late spring through summer, each flower opens in the late afternoon, glows through the night, and fades by morning.
The blooms can reach up to 4 inches wide and attract nocturnal pollinators like sphinx moths. Narrow gray-green leaves and red, trailing stems form a tidy, ground-hugging mound about 1 foot tall.
This plant thrives in full sun and dry, well-drained soils—especially sandy, rocky, or gravelly sites. It does not tolerate wet conditions and can struggle in rich soils if crowded by taller plants. Give it some space, and it will slowly self-seed and fill in.
In fall, it produces distinctive four-ridged seed pods that turn reddish-brown, adding extra seasonal interest.
Missouri Evening Primrose pairs well with other dry prairie natives like Purple Poppy Mallow (Callirhoe involucrata), Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis), Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), and Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) for a tough, drought-tolerant planting.
