Evening Primrose
Evening Primrose is probably one of my favorite plants that I discovered growing wild on our property. I go early in the morning and harvest the cute dainty yellow flowers, as they will wilt and die by sunset. The seeds are what creates the healing oil, & we source the oil since the seeds are almost microscopic and usually huge fields are required to harvest the oil. There are many health benefits of evening primrose & it is definitely a beautiful herbal ally.
Description: Biennial herb growing to 8 in (20 cm). Has red blotches on stem, crinkled lance-shaped leaves, 4-petaled yellow flowers, and elongated seed capsules.
Habitat & Cultivation:
Native to North America, evening primrose is now commonly found in many temperate zones around the world.
It thrives in open areas, especially in dunes and sandy soil. Evening primrose is grown commercially for its seed oil.
Parts Used: Leaves, stem bark, flowers, seed oil.
Constituents: Evening primrose oil is rich in essential fatty acids-linoleic (about 70%) and gammalinolenic acid (about 9%) in particular. Its action mostly depends on the gammalinolenic acid (GLA), which is a precursor of prostaglandin E, . The oil is often combined with vitamin E to prevent oxidation.
Medicinal Actions & Uses: The flowers, eaves, and stem bark of evening primrose have astringent and sedative properties. All three parts have been employed in the treatment of whooping cough. Evening primrose has also been taken for digestive problems and asthma, and used as a poultice to ease the discomfort of rheumatic disorders. The oil, applied externally, is beneficial in the treatment of eczema, certain other itchy skin conditions, and breast tenderness.
Taken internally, the oil has an effect in lowering blood pressure, and in preventing the clumping of platelets. The oil is commonly taken for premenstrual problems, including tension and abdominal bloating, and may prove helpful in conditions as diverse as dry eyes and multiple sclerosis. Caution: do not take evening primrose oil if suffering from epilepsy.
