Pale Evening Primrose is a delicate, white-flowered evening primrose of sandy soils and desert margins in the western United States. Its white flowers open in the evening and emit a sweet fragrance to attract sphinx moths and other night-flying pollinators. The flowers turn pink with age. It is adapted to grow in loose, sandy soils where it can spread by rhizomes to form open colonies. In the Great Plains, it blooms along sandy river banks and dune areas, providing nectar for pollinators on warm summer evenings.
Best time to see a Pale Evening Primrose
The best time to see a Pale Evening Primrose is April–June, when about 68% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 2,838 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Pale Evening Primrose? What plant is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Pale Evening Primrose sightings near you
Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.
Spot a Pale Evening Primrose? Identify it instantly.
Point Huck at any plant, bird, or animal for an instant ID, its rarity, and a live map of where it is being seen near you.
Get HuckGet an alert when a Pale Evening Primrose is spotted
Pick a park, state, or city and we’ll email you when one turns up there. One check a day, only when there’s something new.
Free. Unsubscribe from any email. See our Privacy Policy.
Love plants? Get Huck field notes
Spotting tips, new species, and the best of what people are finding in the wild - straight to your inbox.