Pinkladies (Oenothera speciosa) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Pinkladies is a perennial native to the central United States and northern and central Mexico, found along sunny roadsides and in gardens. Its white-to-pink flowers have four petals with rose-colored veins and appear in late spring. It spreads by underground stems and readily grows beyond a planted patch.

Appearance

Growth form: This spreading perennial grows about 6–24 in (15–60 cm) tall and forms colonies from .
Leaves: The alternate leaves are narrow to oval, often wavy-edged or shallowly toothed, and softly hairy.
Flowers: Each cup-shaped flower has four broad white-to-pink petals, rose-colored veins, and a yellow throat. Flowers are about 1–2 in (2.5–5 cm) across; in North Carolina they generally open in the evening.
Flowering time: In Missouri, mainly May–July
Fruit: The club-shaped seed pod contains many small seeds.

Look-alikes

Common evening primroseOenothera biennis

Common evening primrose has bright yellow flowers. Pinkladies has white to pink flowers.

Why they get mixed upBoth have four-petaled flowers and belong to the same genus.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: prairies and open fields
roadsides
sunny gardens and slopes
Range: It is native from Indiana, Iowa, and Nebraska south through Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, and New Mexico, continuing into northern and central Mexico. It has been introduced in several other states.
Preferred conditions: It flowers best in full sun and tolerates dry, rocky, or poor soil. It does poorly where water stands around the roots.
Flowering: Flowers May–Jul
Flowers May–Jul

Growing it

Propagation: It spreads by seed and by rhizomes.

Name and classification

About the name: White-flowered plants have been called Oenothera speciosa var. speciosa, and pink-flowered plants Oenothera speciosa var. childsii. It is also called white evening primrose.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed

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