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Taxon  Report  
Oenothera californica  (S. Watson) S. Watson
California evening primrose,   California primrose
Oenothera californica is a perennial herb that is native to California, and also found elsewhere in western North America.
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
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Bloom Period
Subspecies and Varieties:
Genus: Oenothera
Family: Onagraceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Communities: Coastal Sage Scrub, Southern Oak Woodland, Chaparral, Joshua Tree Woodland
Name Status:
Accepted by PLANTS

Information about  Oenothera californica from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
This plant is available commercially.
USDA PLANTS Profile (OECA2)

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Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

[Wikipedia] Distribution, Description, Subspecies: Oenothera californica, known by the common name California evening primrose, is a species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family. Distribution The plant is native to regions of southern and western California, the Southwestern United States, and Baja California, Mexico. It is found in desert and chaparral and woodlands habitats. Desert ecoregions include the Mojave Desert, Sonoran Desert, and Great Basin Desert. Chaparral and woodlands ecoregion locations include the southern California Coast Ranges, San Francisco Bay Area, Transverse Ranges, Channel Islands, and Peninsular Ranges. Description Oenothera californica is a perennial herb producing a spreading or upright stem up to 80 centimetres (31 in) long. Young plants have a basal rosette of leaves, while older ones have leaves along the stem, lance-shaped to nearly oval in shape and up to 6 centimeters long. Flowers occur in the upper leaf axils, drooping in bud and becoming erect as they bloom. The four petals are white, fading pink, and may exceed 3 centimeters long. Subspecies There are currently three subspecies of Oenothera californica:[1] Oenothera californica ssp. avita W.M.Klein 1962 ? desert regions.[2] Oenothera californica ssp. californica ? eastern and Southern California[3] Oenothera californica ssp. eurekensis (Munz & J.C.Roos) W.M.Klein 1962 ? Eureka Dunes evening primrose.[4] (contributed by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 03/28/2024).