With a name as interesting as evening primrose, what curious naturalist wouldn’t want to find out more about the yellow flowers popping up around Wolf Ridge these days? Evening Primrose grows commonly in open areas and along roadsides, making it a good flower to spot on a casual walk.

Unlike many plants and flowers you’ll see in disturbed areas or open habitats, Evening Primrose is native to North America and has been used as food and medicine for centuries. The flower grows on a stalk with long narrow leaves. It is thought to be pollinated by hawkmoths and even hummingbirds! Evening Primrose is has many uses medicinally, we read about the oil of the plant being used for everything from treating eczema to ADHD to arthritis to even schizophrenia. The roots of the plant are wide like turnips and can be cooked or eaten raw. They are tastiest when the plant is first growing in spring. Yum!
-Sarah

Sources:
www.gpnc.org/evening.htm
www.ediblewildfood.com/blog/2014/04/foraging-for-evening-primrose/
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/1006.html