Missouriensis - Sun Drops (Oenothera)
Latin Name: Oenothera missouriensis
Item #: 5010401
Difficulty:
Easy
Suitable for Small Pots
Yes
OENOTHERA (Sun Drops)
Perennial (12 in/30 cm) Approx. 5,000 seeds per oz/28 g
Sun Drops are related to the biennial Evening Primrose but they are not true to this night flowering species which usually dies after the flowers appear. Sun Drops will last for several years and flowers bloom during the day for unusually long (June-August) periods. Silky poppy-like flowers are about the size of a small multiflora petunia and just as prolific. Masses of lemon yellow 3 in/7.5 cm single, cup-shaped blooms cover the dwarf sprawling plant with slim willow-like leaves. Space plants 12 in/30 cm apart, divide clumps every third spring of fall, as they become over crowded. Sun Drops like sunny well drained sandy soil with excellent drainage. Use a straw mulch in sub zero areas during winter periods to prevent winter kill. Hardy from zones 4-10
CULTURE: Sow indoors in the greenhouse Jan-Feb., 7-10 weeks before sale in packs or 6 in/14 cm pots. For best results, chill seed at 20°F/-7°C for 14 days before sowing. Press seed into the soil and alternate day 75°F/24°C - night 60°F/16°C soil temps for 14 days. Average seed germination should be 75-78%. Blooms June/August.
