Onagraceae

Common evening primrose

Oenothera biennis L.

Family: Onagraceae
Genus: Oenothera

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Common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) — FlowerPhoto: Sandy Wolkenberg, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

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Common names

By language (30)

Arabic: أخدرية محولة, أخدرية, انغرا, حشيشة الحمار, رأس الجاموس, زهرة الربيع المسائية
Belarusian: Асліннік двухгадовы, Асліннік чырвонасцябловы
Catalan: Bella de nit, Enotera Groga
Chinese: 夜来香, 山芝麻, 普通月见草, 月見草, 月见草
Croatian: Noćurak
Czech: Pupalka dvouletá, Pupalka chicagská, Pupalka červenostonká
Dutch: Middelste teunisbloem, Gewone teunisbloem
English: Common evening primrose, Common evening-primrose, Evening primrose, Evening star, Fever-plant, German rampion, Hog weed, King's cure-all
Estonian: Kaheaastane kuningakepp, Punavarrene kuningakepp
Finnish: Iltahelokki, Baltianhelokki, Hämyhelokki, Tappihelokki, Täplähelokki
French: Onagre bisannuelle
German: Gemeine Nachtkerze, Gewöhnliche Nachtkerze, Dichtfrüchtige Nachtkerze, Duftende Nachtkerze, Großsamige Nachtkerze, Jüterboger Nachtkerze, Rotstänglige Nachtkerze, Royfraser-Nachtkerze
hsb: Wulkokwětna rěpnica, Husćepłodonjesna rěpnica
Hungarian: Parlagi ligetszépe, Ligetszépe, Pirosszárú ligetszépe, Vörösszárú ligetszépe
Italian: Enotera
Japanese: メマツヨイグサ, アレチマツヨイグサ
Lithuanian: Raudonstiebė nakviša
Macedonian: Ноќниче, Двогодишно ноќниче, Обично ноќниче
Persian: پامچال شب
Polish: Wiesiołek dwuletni, Nocna świeca
Portuguese: Canárias
Romanian: Luminiță, Răchițică pufoasă
Russian: Ослинник двулетний, Энотера двулетняя
Slovak: Pupalka dvojročná
Slovenian: Dvoletni svetlin
Spanish: Enotera, Errarnoa, Hierba del asno, Hierba del vino
Swedish: Nattljus, Baltiskt nattljus, Pipnattljus, Polskt nattljus
Turkish: Eşek otu, Eşekotu, Oenethera biennis
Ukrainian: Енотера дворічна, Енотера червоностебла, Перелет червоностеблий
Welsh: Melyn yr hwyr, Melyn-yr-hwyr mân-flodeuog

Synonyms

Brunyera biennis (L.) Bubani
Oenothera beckeri Renner
Oenothera biennis f. biennis
Oenothera biennis f. leptomeres (Bartlett) P.D.Sell
Oenothera biennis f. muricata (L.) H.Lév. ex Thell.
Oenothera biennis f. nanella de Vries
Oenothera biennis subf. latifolia (Asch.) Thell.
Oenothera biennis subsp. biennis Thell.
Oenothera biennis subsp. caeciarum Munz
Oenothera biennis subsp. centralis Munz
Oenothera biennis subsp. chicaginensis (de Vries ex Renner & Cleland) Á.Löve & D.Löve
Oenothera biennis subsp. grandiflora Stomps
Oenothera biennis subsp. rubricaulis (Kleb.) Stomps
Oenothera biennis subsp. suaveolens (Pers.) Rouy & E.G.Camus
Oenothera biennis var. alba Alef.
Oenothera biennis var. angustifolia Renner
Oenothera biennis var. biennis
Oenothera biennis var. cantabrigiana B.M.Davis
Oenothera biennis var. grandiflora (L'Hér.) Lindl.
Oenothera biennis var. leptomeres Bartlett
Oenothera biennis var. lutea Alef.
Oenothera biennis var. muricata (L.) Torr. & A.Gray
Oenothera biennis var. parviflora Abrom.
Oenothera biennis var. pycnocarpa Wiegand
Oenothera biennis var. rubricaulis (Farw.) Farw.
Oenothera biennis var. sulphurea de Vries ex Bartlett
Oenothera biennis var. vulgaris Torr. & A.Gray
Oenothera brevicapsula Bartlett
Oenothera brevispicata Hudziok
Oenothera cambrica Rostański
Oenothera cambrica var. impunctata Rostański
Oenothera carinthiaca Rostański
Oenothera casimiri Rostański
Oenothera chicaginensis de Vries ex Renner & R.E.Cleland
Oenothera chicaginensis var. bartlettii Soldano
Oenothera chicaginensis var. minutiflora Rostański & V.Jehlík
Oenothera chicaginensis var. parviflora Renner
Oenothera chicagoensis Renner ex R.E.Cleland & Blakeslee
Oenothera communis H.Lév.
Oenothera communis f. canescens H.Lév.

and 90 more.

Flowers

In flower: July to October (from 1,993 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)
Flower colour: yellow (USDA PLANTS Database)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Forb/herb
Lifespan: Biennial
In the US and Canada: Canada: native, Lower 48 states: native

Photos

FlowerPhoto: Sandy Wolkenberg, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Hannah Jones, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Pavel Borodin, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Tom Norton, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Georg Slickers, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Alan Weakley, CC0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Acabashi, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Andrew Conboy, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: AnRo0002, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Sandy Wolkenberg, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: AnRo0002, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Sandy Wolkenberg, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

More in Oenothera

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.