Evening Primrose

Several years ago I created a quilt titled "A Week in May" that chronicled 7 days in the life of an evening primrose plant. It showed the cluster of green leaves on day one and evolved through the formation of buds, blooms and wilted flowers, all accomplished within the time period specified. This year I would be forced to change the name of the quilt - not because the cycle time is any different but rather because, for the first time I can remember, the evening primrose did not bloom until mid-June. Photos of these beautiful blooms must be taken early in the morning as they turn pink and wilt with the sun.

The common variety on our place is the "Gumbo Evening Primrose" which grows directly from the sandstone in tight clusters with short stemmed blossoms.

 Besides changes in timing the other result of a spring of mega moisture and cooler temperatures is that we are seeing plants we have never seen before. I can only assume the seeds have been dormant for decades awaiting the perfect combination of weather events to suddenly burst forth and make their presence known! One such plant is another variety of evening primrose - the Prairie Evening Primrose shown below. It is not nearly as pretty as the Gumbo, in my opinion, but it seems to be a little more tolerant of the sun as the blooms stay visible all day.

As I walked out his morning to take these shots I was joined by a cottontail who seemed much more concerned about getting his fill of cheat grass than he was about me or my companion, Frank the cat.