Question: I really miss the gorgeous perennial sundrops. I think they're really Oenethera, and they flourished around my Detroit home and then again during my 20 recent years in the San Francisco Bay area. Is there any chance they'd grow here? I'm in Sun City Summerlin.
Sundrop is a common name for several different plants that are related and in the genus Oenethera. The one you refer to is probably fruticosa and commonly called sundrop in the northern states and Canada.
I have no history with this particular one and I could find no reference for it being grown in the hotter parts of the Southwest. There are a couple of other Oenethera that will grow here that also are called sundrops, but I doubt this is the sundrop you are referring to. This leads me to believe that this particular type of Oenethera may not do particularly well here.
I have been proven wrong many times in the past, so I would tell you to go ahead and purchase it and give it a shot. Put it in a bright part of the yard but away from damaging, late afternoon sun. Make sure it is planted in soil that is composted and has good drainage. Water it like you would other herbaceous perennials.
Certainly there are other Oenethera that commonly do well here such as many of the evening primroses. Be careful with some of the primroses, like Mexican primrose. They can be difficult to eradicate and become a pest if you are not careful.
Bob Morris is an associate professor with the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension.
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