![]() Hardy to zone 4 it blooms very early and likes moist soil. It is taller than the cowslip and bears its showy, pale yellow flowers in loose clusters. Primula elatior is another English one the Brits call it oxlip.It can tolerate drier conditions than most primroses. ![]() It has umbrella-shaped clusters of small, deep yellow, fragrant flowers on 6-10 inch tall stalks. Though most Primula veris are yellow, I have this one called Sunset Shades that came from a plant swap. Here are some varieties recommended by the American Primrose Society. Woodland primroses from Europe and Asia and the bog-lovers from Japan are the best suited for my New Hampshire garden. Hybridizers have developed thousands of crosses from these species plants, giving us a multitude of primroses to choose from. Some are mountain dwellers, some love water, and others need a woodland setting. Since there are over 500 species of primrose in the genus Primula, knowing the origin of your plant will help you to give it the kind of site it needs to thrive. The common name of a number of primroses (“cowslip”) has nothing to do with the lips of cattle it comes from the Old English word sloppe, which means mud or dung! It refers to the way these flowers grew wild in wet meadows or even on an old cowpie. I’ve lost a few over the years but others have thrived and spread to form mats of color in our shady border. Many of my plants are survivors from the pots of primrose I pick up at the grocery store years ago, hoping to add some color to a drab winter day! They blossom reliably every spring and have spread to form a nice patch. There is nothing demure about primroses they light up the landscape with carnival bright colors like egg yolk yellow, royal blue, magenta, and bright crimson. Primroses are hearty, rugged little perennial flowers that come in a rainbow of colors! These shade-lovers bloom from early spring through summer-for color all season long.
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