Such a wonderful phenomenon in nature can be observed mainly during sunset. It is not for nothing that this flower is often called the Queen of the Night. He opens his petals just at this time.
You can learn about perennial evening primrose, planting and caring for it by reading the article below. Here you can learn about the most common types of this wonderful plant and its beneficial properties and applications.
General information
Evening primrose in common people is also called night violet. Amazingly beautiful flower in just a few minutes can turn from a blue-green bush into a bright lemon armful of flowers.
Florists today prefer to plant perennial plant species with yellow flowers, which include quadrangular and shrubby evening primrose. They are quite unpretentious and perfectly tolerate the cold. These plants are photophilous, but also adapt well in partial shade.
general description
Enothera is a perennial flower belonging to the cypress family. The fragrant flowers of the plant are quite large, which are soft pink, bright yellow, white and even blue. Most often yellow. Most of the varieties of evening primrose bloom at night, but among them there are blooming in the afternoon. In cloudy weather and in cool weather, flowers open all day. Their life expectancy is very short - just one night. Then the flowers fade, but fresh inflorescences appear in their place, due to which the plant blooms for most of the summer.
Varieties of evening primrose
In general, evening primrose species are perennial. But among the common species there are both annuals and biennials.
- Evening primrose is one of the most widespread in culture. The plant is tall (about 2 meters) with bright lemon flowers having a surprisingly delicate aroma, especially intensified in the evening.
- Enotera of Missouri is a stunted stunted plant up to 40 cm high. Large aromatic flowers in the shape of a cup have a golden yellow color.
- Fragrant evening primrose is a mountain plant with a strong aroma. Blooms with yellow flowers.
- The evening primrose shrub is a winter-hardy plant, which is a tall bush (up to 90 cm) with strong, well-branched stems and small dark green leaves that turn into crimson with the advent of autumn, which is also a kind of bush decoration and looks great. Bright yellow flowers of this species are not very large (3 cm in diameter).
- Evening primrose is quadrangular - perennial, winter-hardy. The erect bush grows to 70 cm in height. Bluish-green oval leaves become reddish in the fall. Flowering in this species is long (from June to August) with yellow inflorescences in bunches that have a pleasant aroma.
- Large-flowered is one of the most common species. The bright yellow perennial evening primrose reaches a height of 2 meters. The flowers are large, with a delicate aroma, especially palpable in the evening.
- Enotera stemless in the flora of Russia is absent, but this perennial coexists perfectly in these conditions.
- Evening primrose Drummond and Pale are annual seasonal.
- Evening primrose has wonderful pink and fragrant flowers. She comes from South America. In the culture of Russia, unfortunately, it is rare, since it is not quite resistant to climate conditions. This pink perennial evening primrose is quite spectacular and beautiful.
Popular varieties:
- Sonnenwende - golden yellow inflorescences, leaves are dark green, height - 60 cm.
- Fryverkeri - yellow golden inflorescences, stems and buds are red, height - 40 cm.
- Hohes Licht - canary yellow beautiful inflorescences, height - 60 cm.
- "Evening dawn" - with red tint golden flowers, a pleasant aroma, a height of about 100 cm.
Growing conditions
Enotera is a plant that loves the sun, although it can grow well in a place slightly shaded by trees. Almost all of its species are drought tolerant.
If you provide the plant with loose, fertilized soil and an abundance of light, then it will delight the eye with beautiful flowers for a long time. It should only be remembered that the soil must be well drained, and stagnation of moisture is detrimental to its roots.
Evening primrose is undemanding to the soil. It is advisable for her to pick up sandy light soil with an acidity ranging from 5.5 to 7. Planting in loamy loosened soil is the best choice for long-term evening primrose.
Autumn landing
To grow such a plant in the garden, it is best to plant seeds in the fall. The interval between plants should be between 10-100 cm (depending on variety).
For evening primrose, planted in a room for breeding seedlings, maintaining an air temperature of about 21 degrees is required. It should be planted about 9 weeks before the expected frosts. Sown seeds should be lightly covered with earth. First seedlings usually appear after about 1-4 weeks, depending on the variety. Finished seedlings should be taken out after frost. It is necessary to dig a hole and plant several sprouts in it to the same depth from which they sprouted in the tank. You can also plant them in separate recesses, observing the distance between them.
Before planting, you must definitely clear the surface of the soil from weeds, otherwise they will interfere with the normal development of evening primrose.
In the reviews, experienced flower growers are advised to consider that adult plants will occupy an area equal to 1 square. meter.
Care Rules
Excess moisture can lead to rotting of the roots and subsequent death of the plant. In this regard, the ground near the bushes must be systematically loosened, and the weeds around removed. Evening primrose should be watered only in hot and dry periods.
A flower can overwinter without shelter. With proper care of evening primrose perennial does not get sick.
It is also important to note that the plant will look compact and neat if its side shoots are shortened by half. From this procedure, the plant looks neat, and the number of buds that are tying up also increases.
Watering and fertilizer
Newly planted annuals in the summer should be watered weekly until they are completely accepted. Older plants are watered only in dry weather.
The introduction of fertilizing from time to time favors the growth and strengthening of the plant. In spring, foliar top dressing with cow dung must be done, and a little fertilizer can be added during planting.
Before planting perennial evening primrose in the soil, the following must be done: per 1 sq. Km. meter of the plot, add 2 tablespoons of potassium-nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizers and about 3 kg of humus, then loosen the soil to a depth of 18 cm and water well.
Breeding
These plants reproduce both by seeds and self-seeding, and by dividing the bush. Evening primrose is propagated by young stepchildren, who grow in considerable numbers near the mother bush.
It should be remembered that when planting seeds, flowering begins only in the 2nd year of growth, therefore, to get bushes blooming in the first year, you need to sow seeds for seedlings (late February-early March), which is planted in the ground in May. The distance between the shoots should be about 60-70 cm.
For propagation by division of the shoots, this event is best carried out in warm regions in the fall, and in cooler regions in the spring.
If you do not collect the seeds at the end of September, then the seeds that spill out of the boxes can be carried by ants to different places from the mother plant. Therefore, in spring sprouts of evening primrose may appear in the most inappropriate corner of the garden plot. To avoid self-sowing, which leads to the death of neighboring flowers, flower growers are advised to regularly clean withered flowers.
Vegetative propagation of perennial evening primrose is the simplest and most convenient way. Bushes can be divided in May or autumn. Delenki transplanted to a pre-planned place. Reviews of gardeners say that evening primrose tolerates this method of reproduction even during flowering.
The use of the healing properties of plants
In addition to beauty, the flower is famous for its healing properties. The healing properties of evening primrose have been known since ancient times. And in ancient times, healers used decoctions from the roots in the treatment of stomach diseases, and infusions were used to quickly heal wounds.
It is known that among the Indians, evening primrose was used in food. Her roots, leaves and flowers are edible. A plant root rich in starch and minerals is especially useful.
Decoctions from the roots and now in folk medicine are used in the treatment of bruises and wounds (washed), and decoctions made from flowers and leaves - in the treatment of indigestion. Essential oils are also produced from evening primrose . Perennial evening primrose has been widely used in alternative medicine due to its anti-inflammatory and tonic properties.
And modern cosmetology appreciated evening primrose. It is used in the manufacture of skin products from seed oil and leaf extract. Seed oil has a great effect on skin regeneration and metabolism. It is also useful for nail care. This is noted in many reviews.
The only contraindication to the use of a medicinal product is the individual intolerance of any components that are part of evening primrose.
Evening primrose in landscape design and reviews about it
Evening primrose in landscape design is used for different purposes. Tall varieties of perennials can be used in the following cases:
- plant them in the center of a round multilevel flower garden;
- evening primrose is good at designing the top of a triangular flower bed in the background;
- look great at decorative arches, at the walls of trellised arbors and at fences.
Low-growing perennial evening primrose wonderfully decorate garden paths and foregrounds of flower beds. On the alpine slides, these varieties look picturesque among various decorative elements: stones, jugs, logs.
Also, reviews of gardeners recommend paying attention to this plant if the shady corner of the garden is empty. This lovely night beauty in such a place will delight her with bright flowers even in the daytime, and will generously bestow a personal plot with a delicate pleasant aroma.
In recent years, many flower growers are increasingly decorating their household plots with evening primrose, and reviews of them are mostly positive. Blooming, fragrant plants with delicate aroma, transforming flower beds and alpine hills bring special joy. Flowers do not grow much and do not take up much space. This is especially true for the Missouri evening primrose, in which the lashes are no longer than 70 cm. The unusual flower also attracts them - they blossom right before our eyes: one by one the petals gradually open from the closed bud until the miracle is fully revealed.