Species name :

Oenothera roseaAiton
Published in Hort. Kew. 2: 3 (1789)

Synonyms :
(basionym or principal syn.)

Hartmannia rosea G.Don

Full list of synonyms : [Euro+Med] [WFO] [IPNI] [POWO] [Catalogue of Life] [Worldplants.de]

Plant Family :

Onagraceae Juss. (The Evening Primrose Family)
3 species from the Onagraceae family are recorded from the Maltese Islands.

English name(s) :

Rose evening primrose, Rose of Mexico, Pink evening primrose

Maltese name(s) :

Onotera roża

Status for Malta :

Casual or accidental alien. Species that was introduced in Malta rather recently and normally it is short-lived or resticted to small populations for a short time, without becoming widespread or invasive.

Frequency :

Very Common     Common    Frequent     Scarce     Rare    Very rare    Extinct

Growth form :

Germination type [info]: Dicotyledon
Raunkiaer lifeform [info]: Hemicryptophyte ( perennial herbaceous plants with vegetative buds close to the ground )

Legal Protection :

Not legally protected till the last update of this website (22/Aug/2025)

Red List (1989) :

Not listed in the Red Data Book of the Maltese Islands

Flowering Time :

April – June

Colour of Flowers:

Violet or Pink

Toxicity:

Not particularly toxic

Name Derivation :

Oenothera: (); 2. Literally means wine (oinos) and taste (theras) with reference to the ancient Greek practice of serving roots of some species either in wine to enhance its taste or after drinking wine. (Greek origin)

rosea: (); 2. Rose-pink colour of the flower, since many species of the genus have yellow or white flowers while this species stands out for being different. (latin origin)

Planting in rural areas :

Can be planted in rural areas according to ERA Guidelines

Remarks :

This species was first discovered by Edwin Lanfranco at the University campus in the late 1990s, where it had escaped from cultivation on the premises. Later, in April 2020, it was observed growing along at Wied Għollieqa, located close to the University Campus. It appears to be a casual alien that can self-propagate but cannot disperse over long distances unless introduced by human activity, such as the dumping of plants or contaminated soil. The old records of Epilobium roseum in gardens from the villages of Lija and Attard by Borg (1927) might correspond to Oenothera rosea, because E. roseum grows in wetland habitats, unlike O. rosea, which is expected in artificial habitats. Tavilla & Lanfranco reconfirm the population of Wied Għollieqa and find another plant growing at Argotti Gardens in 2024. Photos on the page were taken from the University Campus on 16-May-2015, an area that has now been demolished. This plant is usually a perennial, but in the warm and arid climate of Malta is can have an annual life cycle.