Here's another question. Is there something I can do to keep the Mexican primrose blooming longer? Or if not, what can be done to help it look more attractive once flowering is finished?
It's spread all through my landscape but around this time of year it always starts looking pretty ratty. The spent flowers litter the ground (which is actually fine) and the spindly growth just isnt that attractive without the flowers.
Any tips
Mexican primrose
It goes Summer Dormant. If you put it under some filtered shade it does better. The first year I planted it, I thought it died. It didnt. It went Summer dormant. I noticed it like 100 degrees or less. It may start blooming profusely again in the fall.:) Have you tried to plant the native evening primrose? I just dug up a bunch and replanted it, into my garden. For a Moon Garden. I have Datura, and this primrose. It opens its flowers in the evening early morn. Very heady fragrance.Just be careful , the Datura is highly poisonous, for children and animals, keep them away from it.
I love the daturas. Unfortunately they can only be allowed to self sow in the herb beds, otherwise they seem to attract some sorta slug looking (but smaller) nastiness. Yuck. Seems like being in the desert I shoudn't oughta have ta put up with whatever it is. I'd think the air would be too dry for it to survive.
I guess that answers my question. Thanks. What I do in the summer is yank it out by the handfuls so my groundcover of crushed brick can show instead. It doesn't seem to slow it down in the slightest.
:)
Chris
I do the same thing, Chris. It's not encouraging to see spindly reddish weedy looking things after such a flush of pink! Michele, which native primrose? There aren't any at my elevation.
NO I haven't planted the native primrose. What does it look like, do you have seeds to share and what would you like in exchange? LOL
Chris
I dont have any seeds. It looks like tissue paper on the roadsides, I know you have them in Lancaster too.
Little white flowers. I will see , if I have a picture later. To post for you Chris and Tim.
What time of year does that happen, because I HAVE noticed the "tissue" paper. It's so dry this year tho, the usual wildflowers are sadly absent. I haven't even seen any wild datura this year.
Chris
Yes, Chris. Everything at my place is dry, dry, dry. No spring wildflowers except for a few Cassia. Even the Datura are absent. We had a fire the other day, only a 1/2 acre or so but it was fast because of the wind and heading straight for my house. The Washingtonias that must be 60" tall were untrimmed, you know with beards of old fronds, went up like roman candles. It stopped just a mile away. It always amazes me when the desert floor burns. It never seems like there's enough to burn, but there is and it moves fast in our famous wind!
I'm happy that it stopped before reaching your home.
I hope that the many fires we're seeing in our southwest this year will bring a multitude of new growth next year.
It is dry here but do see some datura, primrose, Acacia and Desert Bird of Paradise.
Some years there is a hillside turning solid pink with Primrose between Grapevine and Gorman on Hwy 5. I think it was April/May when I last saw it a few years ago.
This message was edited Wednesday, Sep 25th 7:26 PM