I went to see a doctor this week and was pleasantly surprised that her suggested remedy was evening primrose oil.
Actually I smiled in such a startled way that she asked me what I was thinking. I explained that I had been the saving seeds of this very plant from this beautiful wild patch near my house that I suspect may be cleared soon. It just seemed quite karmic that the very plant I had been trying to help could now help me.
Admittedly in the midst of winter the seed heads do not have the obvious beauty that adorns the plant while flowering. And the people who have been clearing them no doubt have no idea that they're large flowering evening primrose, the very same seeds used in expensive beauty products and supplements.
To be fair, I didn't know what they looked like til I plant ID-ed them. The variety is "large flowering" and very striking. A huge attractor for pollinating insects too as you can see on one of my photos above.
They had a long flowering period last year and the petals make an excellent snack as you walk past, and a decent addition to salads etc.
It's amazing that you can grow to feel such a strong connection to a plant you've known for under a year. But as I walked past it every day, taking a small nibble and having a sniff, observing how it changed through the seasons, I really felt we became friends.
And more than that it has become a symbol of said wild patch. I am fortunate enough to live in a Garden City, with a lot of greenery. But the majority of verges are very manicured. The potential for rewilding here is huge and this patch which for whatever reason the council has left alone just makes my heart sing.
I can often be seen hunched over the patch with my basket picking bits of seed , probably to the surprise of my neighbours.
Along with large flowering evening primrose there's wild rose, dock, garlic mustard, crow garlic, and the ever striking teasel. But with its bright yellow petals the evening primrose stands out the most.
And as it turns out, it's very good at regulating hormones.
For more see my profile page for this plant.
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