Missouri Primrose – Oenothera Macrocarpa

July 3, 2020 – Missouri Primrose – Oenothera Macrocarpa

         What is a weed?  What is a flower?  Missouri Primrose falls under both categories in my garden. 

         Missouri Primrose is one of those plants that you don’t say, “You never have enough!”  It is an invasive re-seeding monster that you must take in hand and pull out – mercifully – even huge specimens in order to keep some order, but you can’t excavate all of them – or you won’t have any at all in years to come. Then again, it is one of those plants you do say in the early spring, “Oh, good, I’ve some that made it, how many should I keep?”

         They love full sun and they can stand mean soil and I yanked out all but a few this spring in my new front northeast front garden.

         I am glad I wasn’t overzealous about yanking them all, as the ones in the back garden failed to thrive.  This is one of those cases where you can’t put all your eggs in one basket . . . volunteers, be sure you keep a few in different areas of the garden, just in case.

         I noticed them yesterday out of the corner of my eye as I opened the front door in the early a.m. – OH – a flash of bright yellow.  In my pajamas I tipped the door further and leaned out.  Oh, yes, I had saved a few Primrose and they are simply gorgeous.  Yes, I am glad I was not too ruthless. That pop of clean bright yellow.  I will be the envy in the neighborhood!

         Memo to self, don’t rush to clean up the garden, I need the very fine seed of that primrose to sprinkle in a few more sunny places.

         Be sure to save seeds from those perennials or annuals that come easily from seed in order to share with others or to shift your gardens as the natural process of trees begin to shade, or in my current situation, when you cut down trees and now have blazing sun where dappled shade once was.  Those seeds will be a godsend of re-establishing your new gardens in those areas.

         Here in North Carolina, Missouri Primrose – Oenothera Macrocarpa are volunteers, lovely when you want them, and easily eradicated when you don’t want them.  My gardening advice – take advantage of them.

         Also take advantage of going back in time with me to a blog noted below where I discussed the value of other volunteers:

         https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7025278612896752774&useLegacyBlogger=true#editor/target=post;postID=4557101477046367195;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=218;src=postname