Bloomipedia
Yellow sundrops (Oenothera serrulata)
Photo: Bonnie Isaac via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized

Flower profile

Yellow sundrops

Oenothera serrulata

Native in the lower 48

Yellow sundrops is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in May–August.

21states
2of our state lists
1,673U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Nebraska, North Dakota

Quick look

Oenothera serrulata is a species of flowering plant in the Onagraceae known by the common name yellow sundrops. Other common names include halfshrub sundrop, serrate-leaved evening primrose, shrubby evening primrose, plains yellow primrose, and halfleaf sundrop. It is native to central North America, including central Canada and the central United States.

  • It belongs to the Onagraceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 21 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Nebraska and North Dakota. NatureServe
  • iNaturalist has 183 research-grade sightings of it in Nebraska, ranking #87 among the 108 flowers on our Nebraska list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 148 research-grade sightings of it in North Dakota, ranking #49 among the 109 flowers on our North Dakota list. iNaturalist

Yellow sundrops gift ideas

Handmade yellow sundrops gifts from independent makers.

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (142 records)
Bloom time in each of our 2 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
NebraskaNativefew records183
North DakotaNativefew records148

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
Nebraska
Not listed Not on Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Nebraska. 163 NAC 4-004
North Dakota
No list North Dakota has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's North Dakota ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in North Dakota.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: AR (SH), IN (S1), KY (SH), WI (S1). (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), USDA PLANTS) 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 records yellow sundrops in 21 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Nebraska counties with USDA records: Adams, Antelope, Arthur, Banner, Blaine, Boone, Box Butte, Boyd, Brown, Buffalo, Cass, Cedar, Chase, Cherry, Cheyenne, Cuming, Custer, Dawes, Dawson, Deuel, Dodge, Douglas, Dundy, Franklin, Frontier, Furnas, Garden, Garfield, Gosper, Greeley, Hall, Harlan, Hayes, Hitchcock, Holt, Hooker, Howard, Jefferson, Kearney, Keith, Keya Paha, Kimball, Knox, Lancaster, Lincoln, Logan, Loup, Madison, McPherson, Morrill, Nuckolls, Pawnee, Phelps, Pierce, Platte, Red Willow, Richardson, Rock, Saline, Sarpy, Saunders, Scotts Bluff, Sheridan, Sherman, Sioux, Thayer, Thomas, Valley, Webster, Wheeler.

North Dakota counties with USDA records: Adams, Barnes, Benson, Billings, Bottineau, Bowman, Burke, Cass, Dickey, Divide, Dunn, Eddy, Emmons, Golden Valley, Grand Forks, Grant, Griggs, Hettinger, Kidder, McHenry, McIntosh, McKenzie, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Mountrail, Oliver, Pembina, Pierce, Ramsey, Ransom, Richland, Rolette, Sargent, Sheridan, Sioux, Slope, Stark, Steele, Stutsman, Ward, Wells, Williams.

More Nebraska flowers

Fragrant evening primrose (Oenothera cespitosa)

Fragrant evening primrose

Oenothera cespitosa

Native

🌼 Blooms: April–July
Scarlet beeblossom (Oenothera suffrutescens)

Scarlet beeblossom

Oenothera suffrutescens

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in NE
Fourpoint evening primrose (Oenothera rhombipetala)

Fourpoint evening primrose

Oenothera rhombipetala

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in NE

Sources