About Primrose

According to legend, primroses will attract fairies to a garden, bring inspiration to artists, serve as a portal to another world, or make someone disappear. These lovely delicate flowers might well appeal to fairies and humans alike, with their spring show of bell-shaped flowers in a multitude of colors. These perennials are members of the Primula species, and are native to the British Isles. They are a popular choice for cool-weather shade gardens.

Features

Primroses are known for their early spring display of showy flowers. The name primrose means "first rose." In areas that enjoy a mild winter, primroses may bloom in fall and continue to flower throughout the winter and into spring. You can find the flowers in many colors, as well as with petals that are bi-color, frilled or sculpted. The leaves are a bright, pleasing, fuzzy green that provide a nice backdrop for the flowers.

Considerations

Plant primroses in rich, moist, slightly acidic soil, in partial shade. They should be planted in early spring, six to 12 inches apart, so their crown is level with the soil. Most primroses do well in zones three to five, although there are exceptions. After they have finished blooming, you can dig up and divide the overcrowded clumps and replant them. The primrose is not bothered by being transplanted, even when it is in bloom.

Types

There are many varieties of primrose, each requiring slightly different growing conditions. This is good news if you are a gardener, because it increases the likelihood that you can find a primrose that will thrive in your garden.

For boggy areas, try the Japanese or candelabra primroses. Both varieties need lots of moisture to survive. The Japanese primrose has purple, white, or red flowers on 40 inch stalks. The candelabra primrose grows to a height of 18 to 24 inches, with yellow-orange flowers.

The Japanese star primrose is more suited to dry conditions than other primroses, because it goes dormant during the hot, dry summer. It has white, rose, purple, pink, or lavender flowers that grow on 12 inch stalks.

If you would like to grow primroses indoors in a pot, then the Chinese primrose is a good choice. These tender plants produce pink, white, coral or lavender flowers on eight-inch stalks.

Benefits

With their early spring blooms, primroses add beauty to a garden or a group of potted plants. They come in every color except green, so it will be easy to find the perfect colors to complement the overall theme of the garden.

Primroses are useful as more than just a pretty face in the garden. The primrose petals can be made into wine or crystallized cake decorations, and the root can be dried and used in potpourri. Primrose was once used as a painkiller, especially for arthritis.

Warning

In some individuals, the hairs on the leaves of the primrose can cause a skin irritation. The tiny hairs, located on the underside of the leaves contain a quinone, called primetin that can bother allergy prone people. The stamens of some varieties contain an irritant as well, so use caution when smelling these sweet-scented flowers.