Evening Primrose Herb and Evening Primrose Health Benefits

The generic name, Oenothera, comes from the Greek 'oinos' (wine) and 'thera' (hunt). According to ancient herbals the plant was said to dispel the ill effects of wine, but both plant and seed have been used for other reasons - culinary and medicinal - by American Indians for hundreds of years. The Flambeau Ojibwe tribe was the first to realize its medicinal properties. They used to soak the whole plant in warm water to make a poultice to heal bruises and overcome skin problems. Traditionally, too, it was used to treat asthma, and its medicinal potential is still evolving. Oil of Evening Primrose is currently attracting considerable attention worldwide as a treatment for nervous disorders, in particular Multiple Sclerosis. There may well be a time in the very near future when the pharmaceutical industry will require fields of this beautiful plant to be grown on a commercial scale.

The common name comes from the transformation of its bedraggled daytime appearance into a fragrant, phosphorescent, pale yellow beauty with the opening of its flowers in the early evening. All this show is for one night only, however. Towards the end of summer the flowers tend to stay j open all day long. (It is called Evening Star because the petals emit phosphorescent light at night.) Many strains of the plant came to Britain as stowaways in soil    used as ballast in cargo ships.

Species

Oenothera biennis

Hardy biennial. Ht 90- 120cm (3-4ft), spread 90cm (3ft). Large evening scented yellow flowers for most of the summer. Long green oval or lance-shaped leaves. This is the medicinal herb, and the true herb.

Hardy perennial. Ht 10cm (4in) spread 40cm (16in) or more. Large yellow bell-shaped flowers, sometimes spotted with red, open at sundown throughout the summer. The small to medium green leaves are of a narrow oblong shape.

Oenothera perennis (Pumila)

Hardy perennial. Hi 15-60cm (6-24in), spread 30cm (12in). Fragrant yellow funnel-shaped flowers all summer. The green leaves are narrow and spoon-shaped.

Cultivation

Propagation

Seeds

Sow in early spring on the surface of pots or plug trays, or direct into a prepared site in the garden. Seed is very fine so being careful not to sow it too thick. Use the cardboard method. When the weather has warmed sufficiently, plant out at a distance of 30cm (12in) apart. Often the act of transplanting will encourage the plant to flower the first year. It is a prolific self1 seeder. So once introduced into the garden, it will stay.

Pests and Diseases

This plant rarely suffers from pests or disease.

Maintenance

Spring: Sow seed.

Summer: Dead head plants to cut down on self-seeding.

Autumn: Dig up old roots of second-year growth of the biennials.

Winter: No need to protect.

Garden Cultivation

Choose a well-drained soil in a dry, sunny corner for the best results and sow the seeds in late spring to produce flowers the following year. Thin the seedlings to 30cm (12in) apart, when large enough to handle. After the seed is set, the plant dies. It is an extremely tolerant plant, happy in most situations, and I have known seedlings appear in a stone wall, so be forewarned.

Harvest

Use leaves fresh as required. Best before flowering. Pick the flowers when in bud or when just open. Use fresh. Picked flowers will always close and are no good for flower arrangements. Collect the seeds as the heads begin to open at the end. Store in jar for sowing in the spring. Dig up roots and use fresh as a vegetable or to dry.

Container growing

The lower growing varieties are very good in window boxes and tubs. Tall varieties need support from other plants or stakes. None is suitable for growing indoors.

Culinary

It is a pot herb - roots, stems, leaves, and even flower buds may be eaten. The roots can be boiled -they taste like sweet parsnips, or pickled and tossed in a salad.

Medicinal

Soon this plant will take its place in the ball of herbal fame. It can have startling effects on the treatment of premenstrual tension. In 1981 at St Thomas's Hospital, London, 05 women with PMS were treated. 61 per cent experienced complete relief and 23 per cent partial relief. One symptom, breast engorgement, was especially improved - 72 per cent of women reported feeling better. In November 1982,an edition of the prestigious medical journal The Lancet published the results of a double-blind crossover study on 99 patients with ectopic excema, which showed that when high doses of Evening Primrose Oil were taken, about 43 per cent of the patients experienced improvement of their eczema. Studies of the effect of the oil on hyperactive children also indicate that this form of treatment is beneficial.

True to the root of its generic name, the oil does appear to be effective in counteracting alcohol poisoning and preventing hangovers. It can help withdrawal from alcohol, easing depression. It helps dry eyes and brittle nails and, when combined with zinc, the oil may be used to treat acne.

But it is the claim that it benefits sufferers of multiple sclerosis that has brought controversy. It has been recommended for MS sufferers by Professor Field, who directed MS research for the UK Medical Research Council.

Claims go further - that it is effective in guarding against arterial disease; the effective ingredient, gamilinolelic acid (GLA), is a powerful anti-blood clotter, that it aids weight-loss; a New York hospital discovered that people more than 10 per cent above their ideal body weight lost weight when taking the oil. It is thought that this occurs because the GLA in Evening Primrose Oil stimulates brown fat tissue... and that in perhaps the most remarkable study of all, completed in Glasgow Royal Infirmary in 1987, it helped 60 per cent of patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. Those taking fish oil, in addition to Evening Primrose Oil, fared even better.

The scientific explanation for these extraordinary results is that GIA is a precursor of a hormone-like substance called PGEI, which has a wide range of beneficial effects on the body. Production of this substance in some people may be blocked. GLA has also been found in oil extracted from blackcurrant seed and borage seed, both of which are now a commercial source of this substance.

Other uses

Leaf and stem can be infused to make an astringent facial steam. Add to hand cream as a softening agent.