related plantS Nepeta subsessilis
‘Candy Cat’ has pale mauve-pink
flowers, while ‘Cool Cat’ has delicate
lavender-blue blooms. ‘Sweet Dreams’
is a washed-out pink, but its purple
bracts add definition to the
inflorescence.
Oenothera fruticosa
‘Fyrverkeri’
(Fireworks)
‘Fireworks’ sundrops
onagraceae
Red buds and lemon-yellow flowers;
narrow green leaves that may turn red in
fall
15–18 in. high; 18–24 in. wide
Full sun
Blooms May–June
Zones 4–8
pruning Deadheads fall neatly from
the plant. Plants can be sheared back
by about a third and shaped after
flowering to create a tidy form in the
garden. If the foliage should decline,
cut plants down to the low evergreen
rosette. Do not prune again for the
winter.
other maintenance
Well-draining soil is essential to
survival. Oenothera fruticosa is tolerant
of poor dry soil, though it is often
short-lived. Divide plants in the spring
or early autumn every 4–5 years.
related plantS Oenothera speciosa
var. berlandieri ‘Siskiyou’(zones 5–9) is
a low groundcover evening primrose
with light pink flowers. It will bloom
for most of the summer if deadheaded.
It has a vigorous stoloniferous
rootstock and can become very
invasive.
Oenothera macrocarpa, Missouri
evening primrose (zones 3–7), is a low,
sprawling, nonaggressive perennial
with bright yellow flowers for average
to dry soil in full sun. Deadhead to
extend the bloom time from May
through mid- to late summer. Allow-
ing some of the interesting large,
winged seed pods to remain will allow
some reseeding, but usually not to an
excessive degree. Cut plants back in
late fall in preparation for winter. New
plants are best grown from seed, as the
fleshy roots aren’t amenable to
division.Nepeta subsessilisOenothera fruticosa
‘Fyrverkeri’ (Fireworks)