Primrose, Pink

Scientific name: Oenothera speciosa
Abundance: common
What: young leaves, flowers
How: petals raw; young leaves (before flowers appear) raw or boiled
Where: yards, sunny
When: spring, early summer, summer
Nutritional Value: Vitamin F, some fatty acids
Dangers: Eating large quantities of these flowers may cause stomach distress.

Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are arranged alternately along the stem.

Leaf Shape: The leaves are lanceolate to spatulate, typically measuring about 2 to 3 inches in length.

Leaf Venation: The venation is pinnate, with a central vein and smaller veins branching out towards the leaf edges.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margins are entire or slightly toothed.

Leaf Color: The leaves are green, sometimes with a hint of bluish or grayish tint.

Flower Structure: The flowers are large and showy, borne singly or in small clusters on elongated stems.

Flower Color: The flowers are usually pink, often with a paler center or darker veins.

Fruit: The plant produces a capsule-like fruit.

Seed: The seeds are small and enclosed within the capsule.

Stem: The stem is slender, erect to sprawling, and can be smooth or slightly hairy.

Hairs: There may be fine hairs on the stem and leaves, particularly on the lower parts of the plant.

Height: Oenothera speciosa typically grows to a height of 6 inches to 1 foot.


Pink Primrose weeds
PinkPrimrose

Pink Primrose flower
Primrose1

Pink Primrose leaves
primrose leaves

Texas distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. The marked counties are guidelines only. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping.
PrimrosePinkTX

North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.
PrimrosePink

Bringing a spray of pink to yards and field, these flowers begin appearing in later winter and continue on through into early summer. The young leaves of the pink primrose are edible before the plant flowers. Luckily they mature in a staggered time so young leaves can be found among plants already in flower. The flowers themselves are eaten raw or as added color to salads but start with just a few as some people have an allergic reaction to them.


Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.

Privacy & Amazon Paid Promotion Statement

I use third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit this website. These companies may use information (not including your name, address, email address, or telephone number) about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by these companies, click here.


I participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. The prices you pay for the item isn't affected, my sales commission comes out of Amazon's pocket.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.