Primula

Sometimes also described as a primrose or a polyanthus, the primula was first discovered in the Yunnan province of China. Today it grows wild in many parts of the world where it has adapted successfully to alpine climates.

Description
The primula plant grows close to the ground and features a variety of different coloured flowers, including purple, red, white, yellow and variegated. The foliage around the flowers is usually described as being of a rosette shape and is often a very dark green.

Habitat
The primula is a hardy perennial alpine plant which can withstand cold conditions, but its ideal setting is woodland which contains soil that is rich in humus and remains moist throughout the year but is also well drained.

Availability
The plant is capable of growing and flowering all year round with proper care and feeding. Some species of primula are suitable to as annual bedding plants due to their ability to survive poor soil or alkaline conditions.

Species
The genus of Primula belongs to the Primulaceae family and there are a large number of different species. The most popular ones are primula vulgaris (English), acaulis (harlequin), malacoides (fairy primrose), obconica (poison primrose) and sinensis (Chinese).

Care Tips
The primula prefers moist to wet soil and will grow well in almost any setting provided it is kept well watered. It also needs to be kept cool, so it should not be planted in direct sunlight. Mulching also helps during the hot summer months. Stems should be removed after flowering in order to promote new growth.

Did You Know?
Primula obconica is known as the poison primrose due to the fact that its leaves contain a chemical substance called primine which can irritate human skin.

The primula genus contains in excess of 500 identified species, which include the sub-species primrose, polyanthus, cowslip and oxlip.

References
http://www.plant-biology.com/Primula-Primrose-cowslip.php
http://www.aboutflowers.org/thepolyanthus_xfh.htm

Sometimes also described as a primrose or a polyanthus, the primula was first discovered in the Yunnan province of China. Today it grows wild in many parts of the world where it has adapted successfully to alpine climates.

Description

The primula plant grows close to the ground and features a variety of different coloured flowers, including purple, red, white, yellow and variegated. The foliage around the flowers is usually described as being of a rosette shape and is often a very dark green.

Habitat

The primula is a hardy perennial alpine plant which can withstand cold conditions, but its ideal setting is woodland which contains soil that is rich in humus and remains moist throughout the year but is also well drained. 

Availability

The plant is capable of growing and flowering all year round with proper care and feeding. Some species of primula are suitable to as annual bedding plants due to their ability to survive poor soil or alkaline conditions.

Species

The genus of Primula belongs to the Primulaceae family and there are a large number of different species. The most popular ones are primula vulgaris (English), acaulis (harlequin), malacoides (fairy primrose), obconica (poison primrose) and sinensis (Chinese).

Care Tips

The primula prefers moist to wet soil and will grow well in almost any setting provided it is kept well watered. It also needs to be kept cool, so it should not be planted in direct sunlight. Mulching also helps during the hot summer months. Stems should be removed after flowering in order to promote new growth.

Did You Know?

Primula obconica is known as the poison primrose due to the fact that its leaves contain a chemical substance called primine which can irritate human skin.

The primula genus contains in excess of 500 identified species, which include the sub-species primrose, polyanthus, cowslip and oxlip.

References

http://www.plant-biology.com/Primula-Primrose-cowslip.php

http://www.aboutflowers.org/thepolyanthus_xfh.htm