Oenothera albicaulis is an annual that grows at lower elevations in the Gila National Forest. The petals are white when fresh and the stamens are of equal length. The herbage is pubescent. Basal leaves can be either entire and oblanceolate or pinnatifid even on the same plant. With enough rain in the spring, Oenothera albicaulis can form a groundcover in wide flat canyons.