English Primrose
Primula X polyantha, Primula vulgaris, and hybrids. PRIMULACEAE.
Planting and Growing English Primrose
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow English primrose in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- Flowers, foliage, and root structure of English primrose
- Plant hardiness and growing conditions for English primrose
- Season of bloom and planting time for English primrose
- When, how deep, and where to plant English primrose
- How to plant English primrose
- Watering, fertilizing, care, and pests or diseases of English primrose
- Landscape and container uses of English primrose
- Comments about English primrose and its features
Growing English Primrose
Many hybrid cultivars of low, mounding, semi-evergreen perennial herbs, 6–9 in. (15–23 cm) tall, 6–15 in. (15–38 cm) wide. Shiny, deeply textured, bright green, paddle-shaped, toothed leaves, to 10 in. (25 cm) long, forming a circular, radiating base.
See also Japanese Primrose, Primula japonica, a closely related species with similar care needs.
Planting and Care Guide
Blooms
Showy, blue, purple, red, white, yellow, open, deep-throated flowers, 1‑1/2–2‑in. (38–50‑mm) wide, with contrasting, often yellow centers, singly or in dense clusters, in early spring–early summer.
Best Climates
Semi-hardy. Plant as annual, zones 2–5; ground hardy, zones 6–8.
Soil Type and Fertility
Moist, well-drained humus. Fertility: Rich. 6.0–7.5 pH.
Where and How to Plant
Spring, zones 2–6; autumn, zones 7–8, in full sun to partial shade, 6–15 in. (15–38 cm) apart.
Proper Care
Easy. Keep moist; allow soil to dry between waterings. Fertilize monthly. Mulch in winter. Deadhead spent flowers to promote new buds. Propagate by division, seed.
Primrose requires active slug and snail management to avoid damage to foliage and flowers. Spread non-toxic baits formulated with iron phosphate around perimeters of their bed.
About This Plant
Good choice for accents, hanging baskets, beds, borders, containers, massed plantings in cottage, formal, rock gardens. Nematode, slug, snail and bacterial leaf spot, fungus leaf spot, root rot susceptible.