I am a photographer and I'm trying to find some evening primrose
flowers for a shot. Can anyone tell me if there is a big difference
between evening primrose and the primrose I've just seen growing in
the hedgerows in Devon. Or even tell me where I can get hold of some
evening primrose flower heads.
Thanks

I do not know their Latin names but I can tell you that evening
primrose and primrose are 2 very different plants. I have both of them
in my garden.

The evening primrose is a plant that likes the sun. It measures around
18 - 24 inches high with a bright yellow flower at the top of the stem.
It flowers in spring and early summer but stay a nice green plant for
the rest of the season. The leaves turn reddish in the fall.

The primrose is a low plant with leaves almost horizontal. It usually
has more than one flower low in the center. The flowers can flower any
time in summer. The flowers, which are very nice are of different
colours. It likes semi shade. I have a love and hate relationship with
primrose. The flowers are beautiful but after flowering it becomes a not
too interesting plant and looks dead to revive a few weeks later and
flourish again. I spent half of the summer being happy and the other
half being disappointed with it.

Fran=E7oise.

dennis wrote:

I am a photographer and I'm trying to find some evening primrose
flowers for a shot. Can anyone tell me if there is a big difference
between evening primrose and the primrose I've just seen growing in
the hedgerows in Devon. Or even tell me where I can get hold of some
evening primrose flower heads.
Thanks

Dennis,
The spring flowering primroses are primulas. They are a different
species than oenethera - evening primroses, which, by and large bloom in
summer. Most primulas are native to Europe and Asia - most oenetheras are
native to the Americas. Primulas come in a larger variety of colors. (Red,
pink, purplish blue, yellow, white, orange). Oenetheras come mostly in
different shades of yellow, although one variety , oenethera speciosus is
pink and sometimes white.
A good many evening primroses only open their flowers at night, because
they are pollinated by moths. However, there are quite a few exceptions.
Primulas are all open during the day.
Hope this helps you.