Siberian evening primrose

Other names: Hesperis sibirica, Bei Xiang Hua Jie

Siberian evening primrose, also known by its Latin name Hesperis sibirica or Bei Xiang Hua Jie, is a plant native to Siberia. This plant belongs to the Brassicaceae family, i.e. the cicada family. It is an annual or short-lived perennial plant that can reach a height of 30 to 100 centimetres. It has distinctive purple to white flowers that are quite large and strongly aromatic. The Siberian evening primrose is an ornamental plant suitable for gardens or balconies, its special feature being that the flowers begin to give off their strongest scent in the evening.

The use of Siberian evening primrose is mainly in ornamental horticulture, where it is used for the variety of its flowers and their pleasant scent. It is also used in the soap industry, where it can be used as a fragrance ingredient in soaps and other cosmetic products. Due to its high content of vitamin C and other substances, it is also used in the production of beverages or teas. Its young leaves can be used as a vegetable. However, Siberian evening primrose is not used medicinally, as it has not been proven to be medicinally effective and, on the contrary, may be toxic in some cases. Therefore, all aspects must be taken into account when using it.