Here’s a post from March that languished in my drafts overlooked. Spring is long gone and these alpine primulas have long since given up their blooms…
I’m looking forward to seeing some of our native alpine plants this spring hiking the Cascades. Meanwhile it’s mid-March in Puget Sound and some of my European alpines have begun to flower.
It’s hardly the same as stumbling across them blooming in their native confines, but short of that, seeing these plants in cultivation remains a treat.
The alpine European primulas are tough plants and have been hybridized extensively, probably as far back as the 19th century. The majority of these species from the tiny P. minima to the well-known P. auricula readily hybridize with each other and have led to the myriad of European hybrids, many named for the region or nursery that’s responsible for the plant.
Hybrids of P. marginata and P. allionii make some remarkable looking pot and trough plants.
Some of the smaller hybrids, probably crosses related to Primula x pubescens (itself a naturally occurring hybrid between P. auricula and P. hirsuta) are so covered with flowers in the spring you’re hard pressed to see the leaves.
Those are some very lovely Primulas. I need some in our garden.
Thanks Jason. I like to grow them in pots and bring them out to the garden in the Spring. They don’t mind freezing at all, but they hate mushy wet roots, especially when they’re semi dormant in the winter. With pots it’s easy to put them in a dry protected spot for the winter, like under an eave. I’m going to order a bunch of Auriculas from Annie’s in Oakland this year. Check them out:
http://www.anniesannuals.com/plt_lst/lists/general/lst.gen.asp?prodid=3028&rs_start=180&prp_let=P
The Primula auriculas at Annie’s all seem to be propagated by Claire Woods. I’m wondering if she works at Annie’s. Did any Garden Fling bloggers meet her?
The name sounds familiar but I’m not sure.
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