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Common Name: Large-Flower Evening Primrose

General Information

Oenothera glazioviana is a Biennial up to 1.50 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

A hybrid of garden origin, probably O. grandiflora x O. elata.

Habitat

Not known in the wild[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Biennial
Height	1.50 m
Pollinators	Lepidoptera, bees, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a dryish well-drained sandy loam and full sun[, ]. Heavy clay soils may induce winter rots[]. Succeeds on poor soils[].
The flowers open in the evening, they are richly scented and are very attractive to moths[]. The seeds are a good food source for birds, especially finches[].
The plants of this species are of hybrid origin and usually mutate freely[].
Usually self-sows freely if in a suitable position[].

Edible Uses

Root - cooked. Boiled and eaten like salsify[]. Fleshy and succulent.
Young shoots - raw or cooked[]. Mild and inoffensive[]
Seed contains 28% of a drying oil[]. It is edible and a very good source of gammalinolenic acid[], an essential fatty acid that is not found in many plant sources and has numerous vital functions in the body. Difficult to harvest, it has to be done by hand[].

Medicinal

The oil in the seeds is anticholesterolemic, astringent, hypotensive, sedative[, ]. Reduces cholesterol levels[]. Research suggests that the oil is potentially very valuable in the treatment of multiple sclerosis, pre-menstrual tension, hyperactivity etc[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow in situ from late spring to early summer.