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Hairy Evening Primrose

Oenothera villosa

87
Keystone

Native to West Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 59%

Height
2–6 feet
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Biennial

Not yet recorded · Spread · Light · Leaves · Bloom

This plant is missing most of its facts, so Quercus is looking them up in old botany books.

County records are not available.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

17CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV

Genus host records with ranges including WV · Oenothera

  • Amphion floridensisNessus Sphinx
  • Apantesis argeArge Tiger Moth
  • Atroposia oenotheranaPrimrose Cochylid
  • Desmia funeralisGrape Leaffolder Moth
  • Eudryas unioPearly Wood-Nymph
  • Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
  • Hyles lineataWhite-Lined Sphinx
  • Mompha circumscriptellaCircumscript Mompha
  • Mompha eloisellaRed-Streaked Mompha
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
Show all 17
  • Schinia floridaPrimrose Flower Moth, Evening Primrose Flower Moth
  • Schinia gauraeClouded Crimson
  • Spargania magnoliataDouble-Banded Carpet
  • Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
  • 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)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Onagraceae
Flower color
Yellow

What its natural habitat tells you

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

Growing sources and scope

Conservation status

West Virginia rankSH
Global rankNot available
WV statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

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Sources