Quercus

Narrowleaf Sundrops

Oenothera fruticosa

Native to Kentucky (estimated)

Care

  • Provide good drainage in winter.
Care sources
Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

20CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including KY

Genus host records with ranges including KY · Oenothera

  • Amphion floridensisNessus Sphinx
  • Apantesis argeArge Tiger Moth
  • Atroposia oenotheranaPrimrose Cochylid
  • Desmia funeralisGrape Leaffolder Moth
  • Eudryas unioPearly Wood-Nymph
  • Eumorpha fasciatusBanded Sphinx
  • Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
  • Hyles lineataWhite-Lined Sphinx
  • Mompha albocapitellaWhite-Based Mompha
  • Mompha circumscriptellaCircumscript Mompha
Show all 20
  • Mompha eloisellaRed-Streaked Mompha
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
  • Proserpinus gauraeProud Sphinx
  • Schinia floridaPrimrose Flower Moth, Evening Primrose Flower Moth
  • Schinia gauraeClouded Crimson
  • Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
  • Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
  • Dichomeris agonia
  • Mompha brevivittella
  • Mompha stellella
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
23BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Oenothera

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
4Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Oenothera

  • Lasioglossum aberrans
  • Lasioglossum lusorium
  • Lasioglossum oenotherae
  • Melissodes fimbriatus
Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
5BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Oenothera

  • Columbina passerinaCommon Ground Dove
  • Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
  • Ortalis vetulaPlain Chachalaca
  • Tympanuchus pallidicinctusLesser Prairie-Chicken
  • Zenaida macrouraMourning Dove
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
Beetles 2
  • Centrinus scutellum album
  • Diabrotica 12-punctata

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Flies 3
  • Eristalis latifrons
  • Sphaerophoria cylindrica
  • Syrphus americanus

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Adult butterflies / moths 2
  • Limochores taumas
  • Pontia protodice

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

No records yet · Ants · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Onagraceae
Hardiness
Zones 4a–8b
Soil pH
Acidic to alkaline
Flower color
Yellow
Growth rate
Moderate
Growth habit
Several stems
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
Summer
Fruit ends
Fall

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Narrow Leaf Evening Primrose

Conservation status

Kentucky rankS4?
Global rankG5
KY statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources