Native Plants
![](../_images/smarty_plants.gif)
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
![](../_images/mr_smarty_plants_logo_web_200w.jpg)
rate this answer
![](../_images/star_00.gif)
Friday - August 28, 2009
From: Tucson, AZ
Region: Southwest
Topic: Drought Tolerant, Herbs/Forbs
Title: Range and adaptability of evening primrose from Tucson AZ
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
What is the natural range of the evening primrose? What adaptations does it have to live in the arid Southwest?ANSWER:
There are 12 plants with the common name "evening primrose" in our Native Plant Database. There are 4 native to Arizona, so we chose to give you the ranges of those.
Calylophus hartwegii ssp. pubescens (Hartweg's sundrops) -blooms yellow March to August. Range in Arizona from USDA Plant Profile. Range in North America.
Calylophus serrulatus (yellow sundrops) - blooms yellow April to July. Range in Arizona from USDA Plant Profile. Range in North America.
Oenothera caespitosa (tufted evening-primrose) - blooms white April to August. Range in Arizona from USDA Plant Profile. Range in North America.
Oenothera speciosa (pinkladies) - blooms white or pink February to July. Range in Arizona from USDA Plant Profile. Range in North America.
To try to find out what were the traits of these plants that made them drought resistant, we found three websites that had a great deal of information: Central Washington Native Plants Plant Adaptations in Arid Environments; Plant Life in the World's Meditteranean Climates, by Peter R. Dallman, from University of California Press; Arizona Sonora Desert Museum Center for Sonoran Desert Studies How Plants Cope with the Desert Climate.
From this information, we found that the characteristics that the plants share that contribute to their survival are:
Long, narrow leaves, to avoid loss of moisture. Leaves also are hairy or downy, are blue-gray on the underside, and may fold up in the heat of the day.
Most of these plants bloom in the evening, and blooms close the next day when the heat begins to rise, again reducing moisture loss.
Taproots-the seedlings quickly put down a taproot for moisture, and the mature plant develops a network of fine roots near the surface of the soil.
Plants may go dormant in summer, resprouting with rains.
From our Native Plant Image Gallery
More Herbs/Forbs Questions
More questions about Asclepias spp.
December 24, 2008 - Hi. Thank-you for replying to my message. What does Emory's Milkweed look like? I have been trying to find out, but no luck. Also What Milkweeds did you find for sale as seeds and plants? Does Texas ...
view the full question and answer
Plants for a Shaded Slope in Philadelphia
April 17, 2015 - I have a small slope along the North side of my house in a suburb of Philadelphia. A small maple tree grows there but most of it gets no sun at all (a large segment is under the tree). I had the soil ...
view the full question and answer
Effects of Hedysarum mackenzii from Pflugerville TX
May 08, 2013 - What are the effects of Hedysarum mackenzii?
view the full question and answer
Monarda species seed for heirloom gardens in Wales
June 15, 2012 - Hello. I am trying to obtain seeds for the following Monarda species: - barletti, lindheimeri, russeliana, and viridissima. Our address is Wales, United Kingdom and we are hoping to obtain the full c...
view the full question and answer
Native plants for pots for wedding in November
October 03, 2006 - Will any of the plants that are in your big plant sale be flowering in November? I am looking for plants that would do well in pots because I'd like to use them as center pieces at a wedding (in Aus...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |