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Native Plant Society of Texas

Sundrops

Oenothera berlandieri

Other common name(s):

Squarebud Primrose, Berlandier's Sundrops

Family:

Onagraceae (Evening Primrose Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

This map uses data from the US EPA. EPA  servers have been offline frequently so maps may not display. We are working on a solution.

Central Great Plains, Chihuahuan Deserts, Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, High Plains, Southern Texas Plains, Southwestern Tablelands, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Broken Red Plains, Limestone Plains, Red Prairie
Chihuahuan Basins and Playas, Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands, Chihuahuan Montane Woodlands, Low Mountains and Bajadas, Stockton Plateau
Carbonate Cross Timbers, Eastern Cross Timbers, Grand Prairie, Limestone Cut Plain, Western Cross Timbers
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland, Llano Uplift, Semiarid Edwards Plateau
Coastal Sand Plain, Floodplains and Low Terraces4, Laguna Madre Barrier Island and Coastal Marshes, Lower Rio Grande Alluvial Floodplain, Lower Rio Grande Valley, Mid-Coast Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Southern Subhumid Gulf Coastal Prairies
Arid Llano Estacado, Canadian/Cimarron High Plains, Llano Estacado, Rolling Sand Plains, Shinnery Sands
Northern Nueces Alluvial Plains, Rio Grande Floodplain and Terraces, Semiarid Edwards Bajada, Texas-Tamaulipan Thornscrub
Canadian/Cimarron Breaks, Caprock Canyons Badlands Breaks, Flat Tablelands and Valleys, Semiarid Canadian Breaks
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Southern Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Herbaceous

Height

1
to
2
ft.

Spread

1
to
1
ft.

Leaf Retention

Semi Evergreen

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Caliche, Clay, Limestone, Loam, Moist, Sand, Well Drained

Light Requirement

Sun

Water Requirement

Low

Native Habitat

Grassland, Woodland Edge

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Yellow

Bloom Season

Spring, Summer, Fall

Seasonal Interest

Nectar, Pollen, Seeds

Wildlife Benefit

Bees, Birds, Butterflies, Nectar Insects

Maintenance

Little maintenance required. Short lived. Drought and heat tolerant. Grows on a variety of soils. Good rock garden and groundcover plant. Likes moist soil but needs good drainage to avoid root rot. Calylophus berlandieri ssp. pinifolius is a more common wild subspecies. Native habitat: plains, woodland edges, roadsides.

Description

Blooms March-September. Bushy and low growing, with narrow, spiny-toothed leaves. Leaf retention depends on the region. Bright yellow, flowers have four broad, crinkled petals. The fruit is a capsule.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Calylophus berlandieri

References

Learn about how to propagate Texas native plants.

Material Treatment Method Collection References
Seed No Treatment Outdoors: Sow fresh seed directly in the garden in the fall. Tag the location of the seed and monitor through spring to ensure you don’t miss out on the tiny seedlings. Indoors: Prepare a well-draining seed-starting mix. Fill seed trays or small pots with the mix, ensuring there are drainage holes to prevent waterlogging. Scatter the seeds evenly over the soil surface and lightly press them into the soil. Cover them with a thin layer of fine sand or vermiculite. Water gently to moisten the soil without displacing the seeds. Place the seed trays or pots in a warm, bright location. Maintain consistent moisture in the soil but avoid overwatering. Seeds should germinate within 2-4 weeks. Once the seedlings have developed a few true leaves and are sturdy enough to handle, gradually acclimate them to outdoor conditions by hardening off. Transplant them into the garden bed or larger containers, spacing them appropriately. Collect mature seeds from berlandier's sundrops by harvesting seed pods once they have turned brown and begun to split open naturally. The seed is small and may be hard to collect. Shake the dry seed pods over a sheet of paper placed directly under the plant in the garden to aid with seed collection. Ensure seeds are fully dry before storing them. 1) https://www.picturethisai.com/care/propagate/Oenothera_berlandieri.html 2) https://www.bhg.com/how-to-plant-and-grow-creeping-sundrops-8385437#:~:text=How%20to%20Propagate%20Sundrops,it%20doesn't%20stay%20saturated.
Stem Cutting Place cuttings in a lightly moistened potting mix over low bottom heat. Place the plants under a mist system or cover them with a transparent cover and lightly mist them once or twice a day. Don’t allow the soil to dry completely, but ensure it doesn’t stay saturated. Take cuttings of new growth in early spring. Remove the bottom leaves of the cuttings https://www.bhg.com/how-to-plant-and-grow-creeping-sundrops-8385437#:~:text=How%20to%20Propagate%20Sundrops,it%20doesn't%20stay%20saturated.

About the Region

2026 Fall Symposium Logo

This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason