If you're one who revels in good news—this one's for you. Or, if you're one who is thrilled to learn of an endangered species that just graduated to non-endangered—this one's for you. And, if you're captivated by Death Valley—yes, this one's for you, too!
On a recent NPR broadcast we learned that the Eureka Valley Evening Primrose, Oenothera californica eurekensis, has just been lifted from the federal endangered species list. That's a victory for the little know wildflower. It's found only on or near the sand dune habitat of the Eureka Valley in the northern area of Death Valley National Park. It's also found nearby in the Saline Spur Dunes and Marble Canyon Dunes. In a 2007 recovery plan review it was noted that it had a “high recovery potential.” And so it did.
The Eureka Valley Evening Primrose can be viewed now though about June and occasionally in the fall with enough rain. The plant blooms with large white flowers that turn red as they age. It resembles the Dune Evening Primrose, a close cousin that can be seen in Anza Borrego. This rare plant exists as if on a tiny island in the middle of a vast sea because it is so ecologically isolated--existing on just three sets of sand dunes in the Eureka Valley in Death Valley. And, it's a very clever plant. As its name implies, it only blooms at night when it's relatively cool in that otherwise hostile habitat. Let's hear it for survival and adaptation!