About
A rosette-forming, often short-lived perennial forming a clump of mid-green, hairy leaves. Stiff, stout, white mealy stems produce dense spikes of tubular white flowers, pale-green in bud, during summer.
About the genus
Primula are herbaceous or semi-evergreen perennials, forming a basal rosette of simple leaves, with salver-shaped or bell-shaped flowers which may be solitary or carried in an umbel or in whorls on an erect stem
Growing conditions
SunlightPartial shade
Soil typeClay, Loam
Soil pHAcid, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained, Poorly-drained
AspectEast-facing, North-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH5
Plant details
Plant typeHerbaceous Perennial
HabitBushy
FoliageDeciduous
Height0.1-0.5 metres
Spread0.1-0.5 metres
Time to full height1-2 years
Suggested usesCity and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Patio and container plants, Rock garden
Care notes
CultivationGrow in part shade in deep, humus-rich, moist, neutral to acid soil; sun-tolerant if soil is reliably moist at all times
PruningTidy old or diseased leaves, or after flowering
PropagationPropagate by division between autumn and spring, root basal cuttings or offsets in autumn, propagate by root cuttings in winter. Seed propagation has proved unsuccessful
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to slugs, aphids, leaf hoppers and vine weevil
Disease resistanceSusceptible to grey moulds (Botrytis), leaf spot (fungal) and a virus