Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis): Traditional Uses & Safety

At a glance

Botanical name: Oenothera biennis
Family: Onagraceae
Part used: Seed, Leaf
Taste: Bland, Sweet
Temperature: Cool
Moisture: Moist

No pre-1900 source found for this reading.

Safety at a glance

In pregnancy

Generally considered safe; used for breast discomfort

While breastfeeding

Generally considered compatible; traditional use during pregnancy and lactation. Avoid if family history of seizure.

For children

Safe in food amounts; therapeutic doses avoid under 12

Cautions

Caution with seizure disorders (lowers seizure threshold in some)

General contraindications

Avoid in first trimester; limited data

Stewardship

Evening Primrose is globally cultivated for its seed oil; seeds are cold-pressed. The Oenothera genus is native to Americas. Stewardship: a plant with a circadian relationship to light teaches the sacredness of daily rhythms.

In the traditional record

Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis) — native to North America and used medicinally by the Ojibwe, Cherokee, and Algonquin peoples for bruising, skin afflictions, and asthmatic complaints; introduced to European apothecaries in the early 17th century where it earned the popular name "King's Cure-All."

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Educational use

The Apothecary is educational and does not constitute medical advice. Nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before changing what you take, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or managing a diagnosed condition.

On our sources

These entries draw on public-domain materia medica, most of it published before 1900, alongside a smaller number of modern reference works. Energetic qualities such as warming, cooling, drying and moistening are a traditional framework for describing how a plant behaves in the body, not a laboratory measurement. Where a period source states one, we cite it. Where none does, and for many North American herbs none exists, the value reflects modern herbal consensus rather than a historical text. When we cannot support a caution with real evidence, we say nothing rather than guess.