Oenothera fruticosa L.
Narrowleaf evening primrose, common sundrops
Sundrops are native to eastern North America.
Plants: Perennials are 8–35″ (20–90 cm) tall. Stems are reddish, hairy, and thin.
Leaves: Alternate, simple, lanceolate leaves have smooth edges or small teeth. They are 2–3″ (5–7.6 cm) long.
Flowers: Bright yellow, cup-shaped flowers are ⅞–1¾″ (2.5–5 cm) in diameter, each with four petals. They appear from July to September. Although a common name is “evening primroose,” sundrops open in the morning.
Fruits: Four-angled or winged fruits are club-shaped.
Habitats: Dry forests, glades, rock outcrops, roadsides, meadows.
Edibility:
Medical: The Iroquois, Cherokee and Ojibwa Indians use this plant for weight loss, upset stomach, hemorrhoids and to treat bruises.
Online References:
7/6/2026 · Head of Tide Park, Topsham, Maine · ≈ 4½ × 4″ (11 × 10 cm) 
7/6/2026 · Head of Tide Park, Topsham, Maine · ≈ 6 × 4″ (16 × 10 cm) 
6/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 15 × 10″ (39 × 26 cm) 
6/22/2017 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 5 × 5″ (13 × 13 cm) 
6/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Rosidae | Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more |
| Order | Myrtales | Includes myrtles, leadwoods, loosestrifes, pomegranates, evening primroses, many others |
| Family | Onagraceae | Willowherb/evening primrose family |
| Genus | Oenothera | Derivation uncertain: 1. Greek ονος θηρας (onos theras), or “donkey catcher.” 2. Or οινος θηρας (oinos theras), “wine seeker.” 3. Or Latin oenothera, “a plant whose juices may cause sleep” |
| Species | fruticosa | From the Latin frutex, “a shrub,” therefore, shrubby, bushy |
Oenothera fruticosa description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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