Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Oenothera deltoides is a species of evening primrose known by several common names, including birdcage evening primrose, basket evening primrose, lion in a cage, and devil's lantern. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it grows in sandy habitats from desert to beach. The plant is grayish with basal, deltoid leaves. The large white flowers turn pinkish as they mature. When the plants die, the stems curl upward and form the "birdcage" for which the common name is derived.

Plant type

Annual herb, Perennial herb

Size

4 - 40 in Tall

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Color

White, Pink

Flowering season

Spring, Summer, Fall

Sun

Full Sun

Water

Extremely Low, Very Low

Soil drainage

Fast

Soil description

Prefers beach sand.

Site type

Sandy, often dunes

Plant communities

Creosote Bush Scrub, Joshua Tree Woodland, Sagebrush Scrub, Valley Grassland

Hummingbirds
Bees
Butterflies

Pollinators supported

3 confirmed and 75 likely

  • Likely

  • Confirmed

Phaeton Primrose Sphinx Moth

Euproserpinus phaeton

White-lined Sphinx Moth

Hyles lineata

Tansy Mustard Sweat Bee

Lasioglossum sisymbrii

Angelic Sweat Bee

Agapostemon angelicus

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Squash (Cucurbita pepo)

Cucurbita pepo