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Alaska Hardy® Primula (Primrose)
Primula are divided into 23 Sections. Each Section has similar characteristics within themselves i.e. height, candelabra type or ground cover, swirl leaves etc. Knowing the Section and the origin of the variety will help insure good success.
Most Primula require moisture in the growing season and excellent drainage in the winter. The shorter varieties generally have more shallow roots and can heave in our winter freeze/thaw conditions. Mulching in the fall can protect against this condition. Be sure to scrape the mulch back in the spring or the soils will remain cold long into the normal growing season.
With our cool summers and long light days we have found in our experience the requirements for the different Primula are not as distinct. pH of 5-7 seems to be adaptable for any of the varieties we grow. Avoid over fertilizing the auriculas and other shorter ground covers. Our beautiful spring auricula beds are in rock gardens with sharp drainage that get a thin layer of composted steer manure scratched into the soil each spring. These Primula do have a tendency to heave up a bit each year but they seem to be OK until it is time to divide, usually no more often than four or five years, at which time we rebury them deeper into the soil.
Our experience has been the taller candelabra type will do well in more moist soils, have deeper roots and usually are more fragrant than shorter varieties.
With so many varieties to choose from, it is quite easy to have short and tall blooming blossoms from early spring and on into late fall.
Learn more: Interested in learning more about these plants? Click here to read a special article on Primula that we published in the Homer Garden Club newsletter.
Pictured is Primula alpicola, a candelabra-type primrose with excellent fragrance. Photo courtesy of Lauren Springer.
| Primula allionii 'Hartside 12' X 'Appleblossom' | |
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Symmetrical domes of light pink with a prominent thrum-eyed flower. Strong-growing plant with the famous allionii crystalline look. Requires sharp drainage. Forms large cushions. Probably not for the novice but it is proving to be a lot hardier than earlier assumptions. Zone: 3 Height: 4 to 8 inches Price: $10.00 |
| Primula allionii 'Lismore Jewel' | |
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So fragile looking but it's really not. Intense reddish purple long-tubed flower with a prominent pure white eye. Absolutely stunning. Excellent drainage and for the more experienced Primula addict. Zone: 3 Height: 4 to 8 inches Price: $10.00 |
| Primula allionii 'Warfedale Butterfly' | |
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Luscious pink flowers morph to white in the center, giving this Primula the famous crystalline diaphanous allionii look. Looks good enough to eat! A bit finicky so make sure you have sharp drainage and no winter wet, please. If you're new to Primula, maybe this isn't the best choice to begin your adventure. Zone: Height: Height 4 to 8 inches Price: $10.00 |
| Primula alpicola | |
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Candelabra-type Primrose from the sikkimensis section. The books say up to two feet tall but my experience has never been more than 18 inches max. We try to keep the colors separate but those dang bees don't always cooperate. We usually have a light pink and a good white. Did I mention the fragrance? Terrific! Zone: 3 Height: 18 inches Price: $6.00 and $10.00 depending on maturity |
| Primula auricula 'Brownie' | |
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Years ago Rosetta Jones gave me her new 'Brownie.' I didn't appreciate the specialness at the time, as I certainly do now. The only condition she gave to me was to share my Primula with other gardeners. We've propagated ours as we could from division and shared it, but now I've found a commercial breeder so I can offer this totally different double auricula to more folk. I've seen it described as "Girl Scout" cookie brown or chewy fudge. I think it's lovely combined with a nice yellow auricula in rock gardens or hyper tufa containers. The evergreen foliage is another bonus. Zone: 3 Height: 6 to 8 inches Price: $10.00 |
| Primula auricula alpina 'Shalford' | |
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Another fully double primrose with a bright royal purple color. Occasionally this gorgeous Primula has hose-in-hose blooms for a great treat. As the snow melts in the spring, the evergreen foliage is always a wonderful sight to see. Fragrant. Zone: 3 Height: 4 inches Price: $10.00 |
| Primula auricula Soft Yellow Double | |
Photo Unavailable |
A chance cross from Cheri Fluck in 2001 started the propagation procedure. Knowing the history and how long it has taken to get this one on the market makes this delicate soft yellow primrose even more special. Zone: 3 Height: 6 inches Price: $10.00 |
| Primula auricula Garden Variety | |
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Garden variety auriculas are plants that have been naturalized or left for nature to pollinate. While you can speculate what color and form they will be, often you get wonderful surprises. We try to be as accurate as we can in representing the colors, but no guarantees until they bloom for the first time. Very fragrant. Zone: 3 Height: 4 inches Price: $6.00 to $10.00 depending on maturity |
| Primula capitatae | |
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The silver farinose (fairy dust) is quite extreme on this very nice species. The top is flat with swirls of pure purple blossoms completing this unusual looking Primula. Looks terrific planted in masses or as a specimen. Doesn't seem to have a very long life but you can "help" it self-seed each fall by scattering the seed around the base of the mother plant. Zone: 3 Height: 8 to 10 inches Price: $6.00 |
| Primula cortusoides | |
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From our own seed, we love these spring bloomers. They form a border along our driveway, mixed with Dodecatheon (another member of the Primulaceae family), spring bulbs, Saponaria ocymoides and the tiny six-inch-tall blue native iris. Zone: 3 Height: 10 to 12 inches Price: $6.00 |
| Primula denticulata | |
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Reds, purple, whites and in-between are your color choices on this great primrose. Easy to grow and spreads politely by root and seed. At 1,000 feet elevation, I've seen this one get 15 inches tall easily and 15 inches in radius. The drumstick blooms are phenomenal. Planted in mass, it takes your breath away in early spring. Zone: 3 Height: 10 to 15 inches Price: $6.00 |
| Primula Elatior Gigantea Mix | |
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Looking for a spectacular display, look no farther, for these guys are almost gaudy. Commonly referred to as British Oxlip, they are easy to grow, very hardy and although they are not fragrant as most Primula are, they are still one of my favorites for bright spring color. Zone: 3 Height: 6 to 8 inches Price: $10.00 |
| Primula elatior (Polyantha) 'Gold Laced' | |
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This picotee form has been generally "around" since the Victorian times, but I don't think it will be "around" our greenhouse for long. It's a real beauty and unusual. Zone: 3 Height: 6 to 8 inches Price: $10.00 |
| Primula florindae | |
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Okay, so this one may be my MOST favorite. At least for late summer spectacular displays, it is definitely my most favorite. In our gardens they get 18 inches tall easily and they range in color from a wonderful creamy yellow to a dark copper. I really think florindae may be the most fragrant of all the primroses, too. I use this one in our gardens over and over, combining it with other late summer blooming perennials. It does okay in wet or dry areas and isn't really finicky about soils. Zone: 3 Height: 15 to 24 inches Price: Price $6.00 to $10.00 depending on maturity |
| Primula hirsuta | |
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Geez, I'm so excited to be able to offer this one. I've been searching for a source for years. I don't even have it in my own gardens yet, but I sure plan on remedying that this season. This dainty primrose likes damp areas but will do okay in drier areas if the soil is good and you water it occasionally. Very hardy, very easy to grow and crosses with other primula readily for great surprises. Zone: 3 Height: Maybe 5 inches Price: $10.00 |
| Primula japonica 'Miller's Crimson' | |
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Candelabra-type primula with outstanding crimson red flowers loves to be by waterways but not dormant water. They are easily propagated and should be planted in masses for the whole world to see their magnificence. Zone: 3 Height: 10 to 18 inches Price: $6.00 |
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