Flower profile

False gaura

Oenothera glaucifolia

False gaura (Oenothera glaucifolia) is a flowering plant in the Onagraceae family, blooming mostly July–October across the U.S.

Native to Oklahoma

False gaura is a flowering plant.

–states where USDA records it

353OK sightings*

1,983U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Oklahoma

Quick look

Oenothera glaucifolia, the false gaura, is a species of flowering plant in the family Onagraceae. It is native to the west-central United States, and to Coahuila in Mexico. A probable biennial, it can reach 3 m (10 ft).
From Wikipedia's article Oenothera glaucifolia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Onagraceae family. ^iNaturalist
NatureServe lists it as native to Oklahoma. ^NatureServe
iNaturalist has 353 research-grade sightings of it in Oklahoma, ranking #101 among the 159 flowers on our Oklahoma list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (60 records)

There are only a handful of Oklahoma flowering records, so this chart uses records from across the U.S.

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Oklahoma: No list Oklahoma has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Oklahoma ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oklahoma.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: AR (S1), CO (S1), MO (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant)) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS has no state-by-state distribution for this name, so we can't map it yet.

Names, range and relatives

Other Oenothera on Bloomipedia (11): Pinkladies, Common evening-primrose, Cutleaf evening primrose, Fragrant evening primrose, Scarlet beeblossom, Birdcage evening primrose, Bigfruit evening primrose, Pale evening primrose, Yellow sundrops, Fourpoint evening primrose.

More from the Onagraceae family (19 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Fireweed, California fuchsia, Broadleaf enchanter's nightshade, Elegant clarkia, Sun cup, Dwarf fireweed, Peruvian primrose-willow, Golden suncup.

More Oklahoma flowers

Pinkladies

Oenothera speciosa

Native

🌼 Blooms in OK: April–May

Green antelopehorns

Asclepias viridis

Native

🌼 Blooms in OK: April–June

Texas paintbrush

Castilleja indivisa

Native

🌼 Blooms in OK: March–June

Sources

USDA PLANTS: no profile matched this name.
iNaturalist, Oenothera glaucifolia: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Oenothera glaucifolia (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Oklahoma: Oklahoma Noxious Weed Law (2 O.S. § 3-220).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Oenothera glaucifolia (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Reid Hardin via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.