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Missouri Evening Primrose

Douglas County, Missouri

August 14, 2020

The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge. We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns. We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below.

When I headed out on my morning walk the other day I had every intention of noticing any newly emerging wildflowers and getting a photo of each one. I intended to also be on the lookout for birds, butterflies and bugs so I could properly identify each of them. I did the best I could with what showed up. As usual, I took multiple shots of each subject, knowing full well that many of my photos would be blurry or grainy. When I got home, I loaded the day’s haul onto my computer and started to view the results.

It didn’t take me long to realize that the majority of my photos from that day were of something yellow! The very first wildflowers I had come in contact with were Bitter Sneezeweed. Right now they occupy the grassy edges of my driveway and many places along the side of my county road. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC):

“It forms dense populations along mowed roadsides and in overgrazed pastures…

Plant contains bitter, toxic substances, and cattle forced to graze on it in overgrazed pastures produce bitter milk, thus the name bitterweed.”

Most likely this is Bitter Sneezeweed or Yellow Dog Fennel (Helenium amarum)

Just a little way down the road I had noticed another spot of yellow. After taking a closer look at the photo and check with iNaturalist I decided this must be Southern Wild Senna. The flowers don’t last long. They start to turn brown quickly. But I had caught this one just before it had started to look really bad. According to MDC:

“Southern wild senna is sometimes cultivated in gardens as a low-maintenance ornamental for its attractive foliage and flowers and its interesting fruits. Several members of this large genus have been used medicinally or as coffee adulterants; others are pasture weeds implicated in livestock poisoning.”

Southern Wild Senna — Senna marilandica (formerly Cassia marilandica)

And almost in the same area are two more of my favorites, Soft Goldaster:

Soft Goldenaster — (Chrysopsis pilosa)

…and seedbox, or false loosestrife, a member of the primrose family. According to the MDC:

“Has 4 bright yellow petals that often are shed the same day the flowers open. Blooms June–August. Leaves lanceolate, to 4 inches long, alternate, pointed, tapering at the base to hardly noticeable stems. Fruit a 4-sided capsule, ¼ inch long, that remains on the plant through the winter (hence the name “bushy seedbox”)

False loosestrife does well cultivated as a water plant or in a rain garden, with its bright yellow flowers and showy fruits that enable it to self-seed.

Bushy Seedbox or False Loosestrife — (Ludwigia alternifolia)

But I wasn’t yet done seeing yellow! There is an area I have talked about before. A stagnant marshy area where the bullfrogs and their tadpoles were living a month or so ago. Here is where the largest, showiest yellow primroses are growing. These are the Missouri Evening Primroses. They are beautiful! The MDC website describes them as follows:

Missouri evening primrose is a sprawling herbaceous perennial with multiple stems that trail along the ground. Often seen festooning the tops of bluffs and rocky road cuts. Blooms May through August. Flowers are solitary, very large (up to 4 inches wide), 4-petaled, and bright lemon yellow. Often there are many blooming at once, making this a very showy plant. The flowers last only a day, usually opening in late afternoon and staying open until the next morning. Leaves are narrow and lance-shaped.

Missouri Evening Primrose — (Oenothera macrocarpa)

I continued my walk and saw another familiar plant, Common Mullein. Since our recent rains, these have started to flower again. The MDC website says

“Mullein immigrated to America along with Europeans, and with them it has spread across the continent. Its fuzzy, green-gray rosettes of leaves and tall spikes of yellow flowers make it easy to identify.”

Common Mullein — (Verbascum thapsus)

At that point I was thinking to myself how nice it would be if I could just see a Moth Mullein in flower. They are in the same family, but much more delicate in appearance. The flowers, either white or yellow, are beautiful. I had only seen one so far this year. Lo and behold, a few steps further, right at the edge of the hay field I saw it:

MDC: “Humans have complex interactions with plants. In the case of moth mullein, we carried it from one continent to another, whether intentionally or by accident. We don't like it when such plants are weedy and interfere with our efforts to grow crops, but we still enjoy the beauty of the flowers.”

Moth Mullein — (Verbascum blattaria)

Was I done? Would there be more? What about Goldenrod? Another yellow wildflower right there in front of me! What does the MDC say about Goldenrod?

“There are 23 species of goldenrods recorded from Missouri. They can be difficult to identify to species. As a group, however, the goldenrods are common and nearly unmistakable.”

Goldenrods — Solidago spp. (23 species in Missouri and I don’t know which is which!)

Then within short succession I came across a combleaf yellow false foxglove — or something that looks like it.

MDC Description: A densely hairy, much-branching annual. Flowers on glandular-hairy stalks arising from upper leaf axils, long tubes with 5 lobes, light yellow, to 3 inches long, similar to the flowers of foxglove.

Combleaf Yellow False Foxglove — (Aureolaria pectinata)

And in the same family, I think this is a Smooth False Foxglove. This is a flower I had previously misidentified as a Hoary puccoon. They do look similar, but not so much that I should have made that mistake. I am still not positive that I have these two correctly tagged, but I do believe they are both in the false foxglove family.

Smooth False Foxglove — (Aureolaria flava)

I still wasn’t done, after all, in my garden and everywhere right now there are goldfinches:

Goldfinches and brown headed cowbird at my feeder

And Tiger Swallowtails and Sulphur Butterflies don’t always stop for a photo opportunity, but they are still around:

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail — (Papilio glaucus)

Clouded Sulphur Butterfly? (Colias philodice)

And I haven’t even touched on the sunflower family, Jerusalem Artichoke, Rosinweed, Black-eyed Susan, Brown-eyed Susan, dandelion, yellow goldenaster, and so many more flowers that are everywhere right now! I have their photos, but I think I will stop now!

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Now It's Your Turn

What have you noted happening in your area or travels? As usual post your observations as well as their general location in the comments. 

And it doesn’t have to be yellow!