Chylismia claviformis

Common Names

Browneyes, Brown-Eyed Primrose, Clavate-Fruited Primrose, Cruciform Evening-Primrose, Clavatefruit Suncup

Summary

Brown-eyed primrose is an annual herb in the Onagraceae family native to western North America. It forms a basal rosette of leaves and sends up an upright, nodding flowering stem. Flowers are white or yellow with four petals and open at dusk, and the fruit is a four-sided capsule.

It grows in gravelly or sandy soils in arid environments, often on rocky slopes, washes, and sandy places. It thrives in well-drained sandy or loamy soils and is used as a desert wildflower in restoration and native landscaping, with mass blooms that attract pollinators such as mining bees.

Lifecycle

Annual, Perennial

Height

4-16 inches

Spread

2-16 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 6-10

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun.

Soil Type

Sandy, well-drained soils

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil

Soil pH

Neutral to mildly alkaline soils

Bloom Color

White to yellow, with pale white and bright yellow variants, and occasional pink or purple colors.

Bloom Time

Spring (late winter to spring; sometimes into summer)

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

Red-tinged

Leaf Lifecycle

Other

Growth Rate

Fast

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Propagation Methods

Seeds

Attracts Wildlife

Bees, butterflies, other pollinators