Echter's Plant Finder

Other Names:  Shrubby Evening Primrose, Plains Yellow Primrose

Description:

A prostrate, spreading plant that blooms profusely from spring to fall with masses of bright yellow cup shaped blooms; drought tolerant once established; an excellent choice for rock gardens and border fronts

Ornamental Features

Prairie Lode Sundrops has masses of beautiful lightly-scented yellow cup-shaped flowers at the ends of the stems from mid spring to mid fall, which emerge from distinctive orange flower buds, and which are most effective when planted in groupings. Its small serrated narrow leaves remain green in color throughout the year.

Landscape Attributes

Prairie Lode Sundrops is an herbaceous evergreen perennial with a ground-hugging habit of growth. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Prairie Lode Sundrops is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Prairie Lode Sundrops will grow to be only 6 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is particular about its soil conditions, with a strong preference for clay, alkaline soils, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selection of a native North American species.

Prairie Lode Sundrops is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.