Primrose. Description, types and care of primrose



Primrose

Primula or Primrose (lat. Prímula) is a genus of plants from the Primrose family. The name comes from the Latin word Prímus (first) for very early flowering.

Description of the genus

One of the most numerous genera of plants in the world flora. According to various authors, there are from 400 to 550 species of these plants in nature. Moreover, scientists are still discovering new types of primroses. Most of them (about 300 species) grow in Asia and western China. Only 33 species grow in Europe, and in North America- 20 types. Only a few species are found in Africa, South America, in Arabia and one species (imperial primrose - Primula imperialis) - on the island of Java.

A lot of primroses in nature grow in humid places - along the banks of mountain streams and streams, in wet meadows. For example, the Florinda primrose can be found in, near watercourses at an altitude of about 4000 m, and the finely toothed primrose can be found in alpine meadows at an altitude of 2300-4300 m. between stones, rising to a height of over 2000 m. Wet meadows, banks of streams and streams are favorite places for the beautiful primrose Bulley, growing in China at an altitude of about 3000 m. In mountain valleys Kuril Islands and Japan inhabited by Japanese primrose. As you can see, baby primroses live and thrive in such harsh conditions, where others, big plants cannot grow.

Mountains are a kind of pedestal that raises primroses high above other plants. Some of them grow near snowfields, in very specific ecological conditions.

Representatives of the genus Primrose are perennial and annual herbs. Flowers five-membered, correct form, there are different colors: white, yellow, pink, lilac. The leaves form a basal rosette. The fruit is a box.

Kinds

Primula vulgaris or stemless (Рrimula vulgaris or Рrimula acaulis). It grows in, on and in Transcaucasia, in the European part of Russia, in Western Europe (from Portugal, Spain and Italy in the south to Norway in the north), in northern Africa (Algeria), in the Middle East, in Asia Minor and Central Asia. The plant can be found on the edges of the deciduous forests of the south, as well as in alpine meadows and near melting snowfields.

The rhizome of the common primrose is short, with a large number of brown, thickened cord-like roots. The leaves are lanceolate, 5-25 cm long, 2-6 cm wide. Part of the leaves is preserved in winter. Flowers 2-4 cm in diameter, light yellow, rarely white with a purple throat, solitary, on peduncles 6-20 cm high. Petals are wide, divided into two lobes. Seed pod ovoid, shorter than sepals.

Despite such a simple name, the common primrose is very beautiful during abundant flowering, when the foliage is completely covered with flowers, and the bush seems to be a small bouquet consisting of hundreds of flowers. Usually flowering begins in the first half of April and lasts about three weeks. Sometimes, depending on the weather, it blooms in March. Often re-blooms sparsely in September.

Primula cold(Primula algida). Grows on, in Central Asia( , ), in Western Siberia and Northern Mongolia. An integral component of alpine meadows.

The leaves are oblong or oblong-scapular, gradually turning into a short, wide-winged petiole, collected in a basal rosette up to 15 cm in diameter. Peduncles thin up to 30 cm tall. The flowers are small, pink-violet up to 1.5 cm in diameter, collected 6-12 in an umbellate inflorescence.

Primrose large-calyx(Primula macrocalyx). It grows in the Caucasus, in the Crimea, in the south of the Urals, in the south of Western Siberia. Grows in dry meadows, forest edges and clearings.

The rhizome is oblique with abundant cord-like lobes. All leaves are basal, ovate-oblong, gradually narrowed into a winged serrated petiole, greyish fluffy below, almost entire. The flowers are yellow, medium-sized (corolla limb 10 mm long), collected in an umbrella, on legs of unequal length and drooping in one direction. The calyx is usually slightly swollen, even during flowering.

snow primrose(Primula nivalis). It grows in Altai, in the south and southwest of Eastern Siberia, in the northeast of China, in Korea and Japan.

Perennial plant up to 20 cm tall. The leaves are oblong-lanceolate, narrowed into a winged petiole, serrated along the edge. The flowers are pink-purple up to 1 cm in diameter, collected 8-10 in umbellate inflorescences.

Primula lovely(Primula amoena Bieb). Grows in the Caucasus and Turkey in the mountains (at an altitude of 1000-4000 m), often near snowfields, on nutrient soils among the rhododendrons.

Looks like a high primrose. More different from her narrow leaves with gray-felt pubescence on the underside of the leaf blade and purple flowers. The leaves are oval, elliptical, 2.5-7 cm long, with a rounded top. Their edges are finely unevenly serrated. The petiole of the leaf reaches 7 cm. The flower arrow is 15-18 cm high. The flowers of 6-10 pieces are collected in a one-sided umbellate inflorescence. They are violet-blue or lavender-blue, sometimes with a pink tint, rarely white with a yellow eye. The diameter of the flowers is 2-2.5 cm.

Primula finely toothed(Primula denticulata Smith). grows in Western China, Himalayas. Attracts attention with unusual dense spherical inflorescences, towering over a rosette of large elongated light green leaves. The flowers are white, lilac, purple with shades. Often blooms in a leafless state. At the beginning of flowering, the peduncles are short - no more than 2-3 cm. They seem to be pressed to the ground, afraid of the return of cold weather. By the middle of flowering, the inflorescence-balls are at a height of 20-25 cm, and by the time the seeds ripen, they stretch up to 30-50 cm! The same thing happens with leaves. They begin to unfold at the beginning of flowering, and at this time their length is 5-7 cm, by the middle of flowering - already 20 cm, and after flowering in favorable conditions- 30-40 cm. The whole plant, especially flower stalks, is covered with powdery yellowish bloom.

Legends and traditions

Pretty primrose (Рrimula amoena Bieb) in the Dukka valley (Arkhyz, Western Caucasus). Photo by A. Zharov

Primula was known in ancient times and was considered the medicinal flower of Olympus: it was called the dodecatheon (flower of 12 gods) and they believed that it was a cure for all ailments. One of the first spring flowers, the primrose looks like a bunch of golden keys; according to the Old Norse sagas, these are the keys of the fertility goddess Freya, with which she opens the spring. According to another legend, these are sprouted keys to paradise, which St. Peter dropped to the ground. In some areas of Germany, these are the keys of marriage; even in the days of the Celts and Gauls, primrose was part of the love drink.

According to Danish legends, the elves turned their princess into a primrose when she fell in love with a mere mortal. According to ancient Greek legend, the primrose arose from the body of the young man Paralysos, who died of love, whom the gods, out of compassion, turned into a fragrant flower; therefore it was believed to cure paralysis, and in medicine it was until recently called the paralytic herb.

The miraculous power of the primrose covered many areas: in Piedmont it was believed that it protects against devilish obsessions, drives away demons, makes innocent bones crawl out of the ground dead people; in Germany, he was credited with the magical property of gap-grass - to open treasures; in Little Russia it was a talisman protecting life; in England it was a magical flower in which tiny fairies and gnomes live. It is the primrose in Switzerland that is considered a symbol of happiness, an emblem of love for the motherland.

Sources

1. Encyclopedia of ornamental plants. Primrose

Tourist Encyclopedia. 2014 .

Synonyms:

See what "Primula" is in other dictionaries:

primrose- primrose, avrikula Dictionary of Russian synonyms. primrose primrose Dictionary of synonyms of the Russian language. Practical guide. M.: Russian language. Z. E. Alexandrova. 2011 ... Synonym dictionary

The golden key to the realm of greenery. This characterization was primrose from our ancestors. The Slavs noticed that the plant is one of the first to appear from under the snow. Shows the way to the rest and the spring, people used to say.

With gold, they were compared due to the yellow color of the buds. They are collected in inflorescences-umbrellas, resembling ligaments of prickly. We will select those that are needed for a successful growing primrose.

Primrose Features

primrose flower assigned to the Primrose family. This is reflected in the name of the plant. The Latin word primus translates as "first". Hence the familiar concept of prima.

The "first violin" among the forest appears even before the snow melts. First, the leaves break through. They are whole, wrinkled, covered with fluff. This greenery is called lambs, for its resemblance to the backs of young lambs.

The leaves of primrose depart from the root, collected in a rosette. There are stems, but they are bare. Buds bloom at the ends of the shoots. They are not always collected in inflorescences. There are varieties with single buds. Their shape is correct, the petals fused at the base along the edges are divided into 5 members.

Primrose home, as well as wild species, low. The plants of the genus are herbs. They are compact, most do not even reach 30 centimeters. , at the same time, they are a lot bright, cover the greens with a voluminous “cap”.

Add to this the brightness of the buds and get the formula for success with flower growers. Suitable for them primrose perennial. Although, there are annuals in the genus, as well as herbs with a two-year development cycle.

Primrose room, or garden, can become not only a decoration of space, but a home doctor. In Germany, for example, the buds of the plant are added to teas. It strengthens nervous system, soothes.

primrose oil, obtained from rhizomes and foliage - one of the means of combating tuberculosis. Primrose in capsules and in the form of an ointment is prescribed for eczema.

The herb also has nutritional value. Young leaves are added to salads. In the Caucasus, greens are also used for soups, for example, cabbage soup. A spice is made from the roots. Recipes have been known since Ancient Greece. It was there that the primrose began to be bred as a house plant.

The Greeks attributed the primrose magical properties, included in the composition of love drinks. The Celts, the ancestors of the Germans, also associated grass with the sensual side of life. The girl who finds the first primrose shoot in the spring will get married within a year. This belief exists in Germany to this day.

sweet life primrose can provide not only in terms of feelings. The buds secrete nectar. It makes excellent honey. True, it is difficult to get it. Pancake and narrow "legs".

They contain the syrup. Bees do not always manage to get to it. The situation would change with the planting of artificially cultivated species in nature. Among them there are samples with rather open buds.

Primrose species

Open wide Chinese primrose. A photo plants show buds with a yellow core and orange margins. The petals are wavy.

The lobed shape of the leaves is also remarkable. They are large, about 4 centimeters in diameter. The edges of the foliage are serrated. The Chinese species is a biennial, therefore it is more often started in gardens than apartments.

There is another Chinese primrose at home which is rarely found. The reason is no longer in a short existence. The plant is perennial. The obverse-conical appearance has a margin on the leaves. The hairs secrete primin.

This volatile substance can cause allergies. This scares off flower growers. Otherwise, the Reverse Conical Primrose is good. The bush is compact in breadth, while tall - about 50 centimeters. The mass of buds is collected in inflorescences-umbrellas.

Coloring is white, purple, pink, red. Possible cultivation primrose from seeds. Recently, several varieties have been bred with a reduced content of primin and without it at all. So, you can stop being afraid of the Reverse-Conical species and start planting it in pots.

In indoor floriculture, some of the varieties of Large-cup primrose. Reviews about her focus on the pleasant aroma of buds and long flowering.

It lasts all winter and spring. Wild representatives of the species are found in the Caucasus and southern Siberia. I use grass with bright yellow buds not only as decoration, but also as an expectorant.

Medicinal perennials include evening primrose. In Europe, it has been bred since the 18th century. Prior to this, the plant was known only at home - in North America. Evening grass was nicknamed because of its characteristics. The buds open at dusk.

Fading, the plant forms fruits in the form of boxes. The seeds are hidden in them, from which they receive primrose oil. Reviews scientists about it are as follows: the ether contains gamma-linolenic acid. It slows down the aging process, prevents heart disease, cancer, arthritis and asthma.

evening primrose, reviews of which "explode" the Internet, becomes for many flower growers both an ornament and houses, and a means of earning. In warm regions, the plant, or rather its seeds, is grown for sale. This cannot be said about the stemless species.

It is considered purely decorative. The perennial consists of several rosettes of foliage. From the center of each rises a peduncle with one bud. Its petals can be blue, white, yellow. The grass is undersized, dense, compact, reminiscent of a violet in terms of “configuration”.

Primrose care at home

Being a primrose primrose, care for which it is discussed, does not like the heat. The plant needs spring coolness. Therefore, potted specimens are placed between window frames, take out to the verandas, put in unheated rooms.

This is especially important during the flowering period. At temperatures above 16 degrees, its duration is reduced, fewer buds are formed.

Primula, buy which is decided will require frequent ventilation and plenty of light. Direct beams are not recommended. Light must be diffused.

Watering should be grassroots, that is, not touching the leaves. Moisture is directed directly to the roots, after drying the top layer of the substrate in which it grows primrose.

Landing carried out in medium nutrient soil. The mixture is made up of humus, turf, sand and compost. You can add some peat.

During the feeding will not interfere. The best solution is bird droppings. The second time the land is fertilized at the end of summer. This time, we need not organics, but ammonium nitrate. One gram is diluted per liter of water.

Primrose price

Landing, care for - the second thing. First, you need to buy seeds, sprouts, or a bush in a pot. All options are available. Samples in flowerpots with a soil substrate cost from 150 rubles.

For plants with buds they ask from 200. Some varieties will cost 350-500 rubles. An extra charge is made for decorativeness, the rarity of the species and the absence of primin in the roots, stems, buds.

The range of prices for primrose seeds is large. There are packages for 15 rubles, and there are also for 90. It all depends on the volume of packs, the manufacturer, trade markup and, again, the type of grass. By the way, Catherine the Great herself loved her.

The Empress collected not only flowers, but also Saxon porcelain with primroses painted on it. Under the dishes, they even allocated a separate room of the palace. The services have been preserved, but they cannot be bought. Porcelain transferred to the museums.

As soon as they do not call the garden perennial primrose among the people: and lambs, and Easter flowers, and talismans of happiness, and keys. This plant has won the extreme love of flower growers for its species diversity, original colors, ease of reproduction and unpretentious care. In addition, new flower hybrids appear every year. perennial primrose, which means that interest in these primroses will never dry up.

What do perennial primroses look like?

Primrose, or primrose, is a flower from the Primrose family. This is the most beautiful perennial, usually flowering in early spring. In nature, more than 500 species of primroses are known, common in Europe, America, Asia. They are found mainly in mountainous regions, forests, and also on plains on moist, humus-rich soil. Some species - Berengian primrose, Daryal, Yulia, bud-leaved - are listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation.

On this page, you will find photos and descriptions of the most popular types and varieties of primroses.

Primroses attract flower growers with early, abundant and long flowering, a variety of colors and shapes, and a pleasant aroma. If you have different types of primroses in the collection, you can admire them bright bloom from early spring to mid-summer. Some species may re-bloom in autumn. The advantages of primroses are also winter hardiness, comparative simplicity of culture, rapid reproduction (by seeds and vegetatively), decorative foliage until late autumn.

Spring primroses bloom almost immediately after the snow melts and bloom until the end of May, blending well with many bulbs and filling the gaps between them.

As you can see in the photo, perennial primroses can be used in any flower beds. landscape style, discounts, borders, on alpine slides:

Group plantings form a bright, very picturesque carpet. Long-stemmed species are suitable for the first spring bouquets. Plants are suitable for decorating containers, vases. If you plant primroses in pots in autumn, then in March they will bloom with you.

Primula is a low-growing rhizomatous plant 10-30 cm high. Wrinkled leaves are collected in a basal rosette. Flowers solitary or in inflorescences - umbellate, spherical, capitate.

Look at the photo how primroses look - the color of the flowers can be very diverse, except for sky blue:

Many types of primroses have a strong, pleasant aroma. Flowering time up to a month.

How to grow a perennial primrose: planting and care (with photo)

The most important condition successful cultivation garden perennial primrose is right choice landing sites. You need to plant them in semi-shady or slightly shaded corners of the garden, but well ventilated. You can place them under single as well as under ornamental trees and shrubs with late blooming foliage.

on open, sunny places primroses bloom as usual in early spring, but with the onset of summer, their leaves wither and dry; by autumn, the plants are so weakened that they die or do not bloom the next year.

For planting and caring for primroses, the soil must be prepared moist, loose, fertile. It is recommended to apply rotted manure or compost (2 buckets per 1 m2), complete mineral fertilizer (150-200 g) and dig to a depth of 30 cm. Add 1 bucket to loam river sand per 1 m2. Primroses are placed at a distance of 20-30 cm from each other, and large species- at a distance of 40 cm.

How to care for primroses to ensure good flowering? Plants are watered depending on the weather so that the ground is constantly moderately moist. After watering, the soil is loosened and covered with mulch with a layer of 2-3 cm. Plants respond well to the introduction of bird droppings infusion (1:20). In favorable conditions, primroses rarely get sick and are almost not affected.

Primroses are propagated by dividing overgrown plants and seeds. Delenki are best planted in early autumn so that they have time to take root before the onset of cold weather. Divide three-four-year specimens. An overgrown bush gives 4-6 divisions, which should have good roots and a few leaves. In hot weather, planted plants are watered daily for a week.

How to grow primrose from seeds? With seed propagation, wild primroses retain their characteristics. Garden hybrid plants are propagated vegetatively, since when seeds are sown, the properties of the variety are not inherited. The offspring can be the most diverse, sometimes very beautiful.

The seeds are sown late autumn to a depth of 0.5 cm in boxes or directly into the ground. Seeds can also be sown in open ground in the spring. Seedlings in the stage of 2-3 true leaves dive first at a distance of 10-15 cm from each other in a shady place. Seedlings are very demanding on moisture and need regular watering. Grown plants are planted on permanent place. They bloom in 2 years.

Here you can see photos of planting and caring for primroses grown from cuttings and seeds:

Types and varieties of primroses: photo and description

In the gardens, mainly hybrid primroses are cultivated, as well as some wild ones. The most common are the following.

Primrose ordinary, or stemless , occurs naturally in the Crimea and the Caucasus. Flowers up to 3 cm in diameter, on a very short stem, light yellow with a purple center. The leaves are quite large, light green. Flowering is abundant from the end of April for a month.

As a result of hybridization, many varieties of primroses with lilac, dark blue flowers were obtained.

Spring primrose, or rams. Flowers up to 2 cm in diameter, bright yellow with an orange spot in the center, collected in an umbrella-shaped inflorescence on a stem up to 20 cm high. It blooms for more than a month, from the end of April. Grow mainly hybrid forms with large and double flowers the most varied colors.

Primrose ear, or auricula , - one of the most beautiful views. It has been widely cultivated in European countries since the 16th century. In nature, it lives in alpine meadows in the mountains of Central and Southern Europe.

As you can see in the photo, the flowers of this garden perennial primrose are yellow, collected in an umbrella at the top of a strong arrow 20-25 cm high:

The leaves are dense, smooth, rounded, form a beautiful rosette.

Cultivated varieties and natural hybrids with flowers up to 3-4 cm in diameter, mostly two-color most various combinations coloring. The flowers are collected in an umbrella-shaped inflorescence on an arrow up to 20 cm high. It blooms in May-June for 20-25 days. The best location is partial shade, in the sun the flowering time is reduced. Auricula are planted in the foreground in rockeries along the paths.

The natural hybrid of the auricle is primrose pubescent . Fragrant flowers 1.5-4 cm in diameter have a variety of colors (from pure white to purple and brown).

Pay attention to the photo of this type of primrose - there are varieties both plain and with a white, cream or yellow eye:

The flowers are collected in corymbs on stems 10-20 cm high. Evergreen leaves are very expressive with a slight powdery coating, sometimes forming a light strip along the edges.

Primula finely toothed comes from the alpine meadows of the Himalayas. Numerous small flowers up to 1 cm in diameter are collected in a spherical inflorescence with a diameter of 6-7 cm. A strong peduncle 20-25 cm high after flowering stretches to 50-60 cm. A well-developed plant forms up to 5 peduncles. The color of the flowers is usually lilac, less often white, pink, reddish-purple or dark purple. It blooms from the end of April for 25-30 days. As they fade, leaves grow up to 20 cm. They are strongly wrinkled, finely toothed, covered with a thick yellowish coating on the underside, which enhances the decorative effect. In summer, the small-toothed primrose bush resembles an exotic one.

Primula high originally from Transcarpathia, southern and middle parts Western Europe. Flowers up to 2 cm in diameter, light yellow, with more dark spot in the center, collected in an umbrella-shaped inflorescence on an arrow 20-30 cm high.

The photo of this variety of primrose shows that the leaves of the plant are oblong-oval, wavy, serrated, hairy below:

Blooms from late April - early May for 30-35 days. There are numerous hybrids with a variety of flower colors.

Primula kartuzovidnaya found in Western and Eastern Siberia. Flowers up to 2.5 cm in diameter, pink, light purple, collected 8-12 pieces in an umbellate inflorescence on a stem up to 30 cm high. The leaves are ovate, serrated, slightly hairy, on long petioles, collected in a small rosette. Blooms in May, again in August-September.

Primula Julia. Homeland - the Caucasus. One of the most beautiful miniature species, only 10 cm high. In April, the plant is covered with a mass of pink-purple flowers up to 3 cm in diameter. Flowering continues until mid-May. The leaves are shiny, bright green. It grows rapidly, numerous creeping shoots soon form continuous soddy carpets. This is one of the few species that grows well on open places if the soil is loamy and sufficiently moist.

Primrose, Primula (Primula)

Russian name: Primrose, Primula

Latin name: Primula

Family: Primroses

motherland: Alpine belts of the Pyrenees, Himalayas, Balkans, Carpathians

general information: Many nations have their own legends about primrose. The ancient Scandinavians considered primroses to be the keys of Freya, the goddess of spring. The flowers of spring, the flowers-keys, they are called by many peoples. The ancient Greeks called the primrose the flower of the twelve gods and associated it with the legend of how these gods turned a paralysed youth into a flower. This flower - primrose - began to be considered a remedy for all sorts of diseases. The echo of this legend is also among the Slavs. One of the popular names of primrose is paralytic grass.

According to a romantic English legend, little fairies and dwarfs hide from the rain and bad weather in the golden corollas of the primrose. On moonlit nights, fairies hang a dewdrop from each flower, and they shine on them like small chandeliers.

How ornamental plant primrose has been cultivated for a long time. In Russia, she appeared in greenhouses under Catherine II. In Europe, avricula primroses were valued on a par with cloves and they were very expensive.

In Germany, a soothing tea is brewed from dried flowers, the British eat a salad of young primrose leaves, and the anise-scented roots are used as a spice. In Switzerland, Poland and some other European countries, an effervescent drink is prepared from the infusion of fresh flowers and honey.

Primula is a perennial rhizomatous plant with a rosette of basal leaves. Primrose flower stalks are leafless, from 10 to 80 cm high. Primroses have a wide range of colors of flowers and leaves, different forms and sizes. In some species, the flowers are collected from the inflorescence, in others, the flowers are solitary.

Species, varieties: Primula genus - contains about 500 plant species, many of which grow in the Himalayas, Asia, China and Europe. 33 species grow in Europe, 20 species in America. Wild species are distributed throughout the globe, mainly in temperate zones and in the alpine belt of mountains.

Only a few types of ground primroses are grown in gardens, the most common of which are:

• Stemless, or ordinary - 10-15 cm high. Flowers sit one at a time on short peduncles. There are many varieties and hybrids with a wide variety of flower colors. This is one of the most popular species among flower lovers.
• Spring - from 10 to 30 cm high. It has many varieties with double and non-double flowers. Coloring yellow of any shades.
• Fine-toothed - 10-15 cm high at the beginning of flowering. By the end of flowering, the peduncles stretch up to 40-50 cm. The flowers are collected in dense capitate inflorescences with a diameter of about 5 cm. It has forms with white, pink, blue, blue, purple, lilac and ruby- red flowers.
• Ear - with dense gray-green leaves and spherical-umbellate inflorescences. Plant height up to 20 cm. Flowers of the most diverse colors, often bicolor.
• Spring and finely toothed bloom in April - May, auricular - in May - June, ordinary - in June. There are several species that bloom in July.

There are many types of primroses that are grown indoors as a pot crop. For this, common primrose hybrids are more often used. If you plant them in a certain period in small containers, then they can bloom by the New Year or by March 8th.

Lighting: In the sun they fade and bloom not so abundantly.

Priming: Different types primroses are preferred for fertility various soils. Julia, shaggy and Gallera love poor soils, as they grow among rocks in nature. But other types of primroses love more fertile soil, for example, Bisa, Florinda, Siebold, those that grow in nature in meadows, forests, valleys. In the garden, they must be grown on loose, fertile soil.

If the earth in the garden is clay, you need to add sand to the garden, per square meter - a bucket of sand. Also, 20 kg of organic fertilizers are applied to the soil, or it is worth replacing the top layer 20 cm deep with fertile soil. In the 2nd and 3rd year, phosphate fertilizers can be put into the soil in spring and potash fertilizers in autumn.

For sandy soil, you can put 15 kg of organic fertilizer per square meter, it can be compost, humus. They not only nourish the soil, but improve its structure.

Watering: Primrose prefers moderately moist soil, but does not tolerate stagnant water, so it is better to take care of good drainage under the flower bed. The issue of moisture is especially relevant in the period of early spring, when the plant is actively growing. Therefore, it is recommended to keep the flower bed moist. Primrose should not be planted on high ridges, as the soil there often dries up.

Care: All primroses grow well and bloom in partial shade on loose, sufficiently moist soils rich in organic fertilizers. The soil should always be clean of weeds, moist and loose. In loose soil, roots form faster in young rosettes. After overwintering, primrose plants usually stick out of the garden somewhat. Therefore, annually it is necessary to sprinkle around them with a layer of 2-3 cm of loose nutrient soil. During the summer, you need to feed the plants two to three times with a complete mineral fertilizer. The first time they are fed in early spring, then after two or three weeks and for the last time in early August. It is very important to keep the leaves on the plants until late autumn. A well-developed rosette of leaves covers the buds in winter. Leaves remain green under snow until spring.

In hot and dry weather, it is necessary to ensure that the roots do not dry out, i.e. moisten occasionally. But in October, November, it is not necessary to moisten the soil, because. in winter period the plant is not active and needs dry soil. In the spring, you need to make sure that the root does not rot, since the primrose does not tolerate stagnant water.

In snowy winters, the primrose is afraid of warming up, as it often finds itself under a crust of ice if the temperature is unstable and the snow has melted and froze. To prevent this from happening, early in the spring it is necessary to break the ice crust and partially remove the layer of snow cover over the plant.

Primula is winter hardy. Over time, due to the bulging of the roots, the plant may die, so in the fall, after 1-2 years, fertile soil is poured to the roots.

In one place, you can grow 5-7 years, after which they need to be divided and transplanted. Easily tolerate a transplant in flowering form.

top dressing: The awakening of primrose bulbs in spring comes quite early, which means it is recommended to fertilize the soil with phosphorus and mineral fertilizers during spring thaws.

As the heat comes, it is worth loosening the soil and 14 days after top dressing, add superphosphate to the soil at the rate of 15 g / sq.m.

In the middle of summer, the primrose lays buds by the next year and should be fed with a solution of mullein (1:10) or green manure in concentration (liter per ten liters of water and potassium sulfate 10 g / 10 l). One application of half a liter under 1 bush of primrose will be enough. In August, fertilize 1 time to increase winter hardiness (20 g of superphosphate and 10 g of potassium / 10 l of water).

reproduction: Primrose is propagated by seeds, division of rhizomes and cuttings.

In flowers at the end of August, cylindrical or spherical shape. The seeds are black in color, very small, lose their germination capacity rather quickly, so sowing should be carried out almost immediately. Purchased seeds must be stratified.

Deciduous soil and sand are taken as soil for seedlings in a ratio of 2 to 1. temperature 18-20 ° C. It is recommended to sow primrose seeds in autumn under snow or early spring. In each individual pot, 2-3 seeds are chilled in the refrigerator for 12 hours in advance. They are sown superficially, on top of the crops it is necessary to spray to create a microclimate with high humidity and cover with transparent cellophane.

If all 3 seeds sprout, the weaker ones are removed, but not pulled out, but cut off in place of the cotyledon leaves so as not to damage the earthen ball. Primroses emerge on the 14th day. Transplanting and diving primrose should be carried out very carefully without damaging the clod of earth at the roots. Dive is carried out only after the appearance of two cotyledon leaves and 2 real ones.

After seed germination, the temperature is reduced to 16°C and below. Watering primrose seedlings is necessary only in the pan.

Primroses grown from seeds bloom for 2 years.

Many species can be propagated by cuttings. To do this, in May - June, leaf rosettes with pieces of rhizome (with a heel) are cut and planted on a shaded garden bed. Plants take root quickly and overwinter. In the spring they are planted in a flower garden.

Transfer: Primroses grow rapidly and should be divided and replanted every 3-4 years. The rhizomes are divided into small parts with well-developed rosettes of leaves or buds. Most auspicious time for transplantation - early spring or early autumn, August - September, but it can be divided immediately after flowering, and even during flowering.

Pests: Aphids, weevils, biting cutworms, flea beetles, spider mite, slugs and snails.

Diseases: Stem and leaf rot, leaf spot (ramularia), rust, powdery mildew, wilting of seedlings, viral diseases.

Tips & Tricks: IN landscape design primroses are widely used to create a warm, eye-catching spring corner. Primroses are widely used for spring flower decoration shady places: they look very impressive in single and group plantings on the lawn under trees or shrubs. Primroses are also used for borders, flower beds, in mixborders, rock gardens, for forcing.

Houseplant primrose has excellent decorative properties and decorates the most various interiors. Currently, the primrose flower can also be used in horticultural culture due to the breadth of the varieties presented. We offer you a description of primrose flowers with photos of plants at various stages of development. The main varieties and rules of reproduction and cultivation at home.

Description of primrose: what does it look like

The genus Primula belongs to the Primrose family. This herbaceous plant grows in nature in areas temperate climate, found in Europe, Asia, North America, China. The genus name comes from the Greek primus ("early, first"). We are offering to you short description primrose as a houseplant, the cultivation of which will not take you much time and effort.

Primroses are low stemless perennials with a rhizome growing obliquely upwards. Leaves are rosette, petiolate or sessile, entire marginal or serrated, smooth or sparsely pubescent. Simple, rarely double flowers of various colors are collected in umbellate, capitate or bell-shaped inflorescences. Single flowers are less common. There are many species and forms grown both in open field, and in pot culture indoors.

What a primrose looks like at different stages of its development can be seen in the photo:

Primrose varieties

Primrose varieties include decorative types that are adapted to growing indoors. In room culture, obconic primrose, or obconic primrose (Primula obconica), is mainly grown - a herbaceous plant with rounded, entire leaves on short petioles, collected in a rosette.

The glands located on the leaves secrete the volatile substance primin, which causes severe irritation and itching in some people when in contact with the leaves. Flowers up to 6 cm in diameter are collected in umbellate inflorescences of white, pink, red, lilac, blue color.

Home primrose: photo and description

Primula home stemless (Primula acaulis), a synonym for common primrose (Primula vulgaris), is a very common species. The leaves are bright green, strongly corrugated. White, yellow, blue-lilac, red-burgundy flowers on short stalks are collected in the center of the rosette of leaves. Numerous hybrids have been obtained from this species.

Look at the home primrose in the photo of this species:

Primula ear

Primula ear (Primula auricula)- evergreen species. Its dense leathery dark green lanceolate or rounded leaves 7-20 cm long, slightly serrated along the edge, form a beautiful rosette in the form of a shell.

The flowers are yellow with a diameter of 2-3 cm. Numerous hybrids and varieties have unusual colors. Some of them have three or four colors, located right circles, with white, yellow, green, purple, red and dark chestnut hues. In the center of the flower, as a rule, a yellow eye. Flowers of five or six pieces are collected in inflorescences-umbrellas on elastic peduncles 10-25 cm high.

Types and varieties of primrose

"Blue Garden"- Lilac flowers with a white eye.

Primrose "Apollo"- Terry bright yellow flowers.

Primrose variety "Nocturne"- flowers are black-burgundy with a white center and a yellow eye.

Primrose variety "Dales Red"- flowers of saturated dark red color with a white middle and a yellow eye.

Primrose variety "Biancorossa"- flowers are large, pink-white, with pronounced shading.

"Silver Lace Black"- very abundant flowering, the flowers are small, burgundy-brown with a yellow center and a silver border.

"Sunshine Susie"- Terry flowers, yellow with a peach tint.

Jonathan- the flowers are medium in size, the color of the petals is from light lilac to inky purple, the middle is light yellow.

"Notso Prim"- large orange-red flowers with a yellow center.

Primula high (Primula elatior)- a plant with small oblong-oval wrinkled leaves collected in a rosette.

The flowers are light yellow, collected in 7-10 pieces in one-sided umbellate inflorescence. Blooms from the end of April for 40-45 days. Varieties with flowers of various colors are known: golden-orange, brown with a golden border, dark pink, dark red, raspberry, cherry and even dark blue.

"Gold Lace"- a hybrid of high primrose with a characteristic flower color: yellow center, red round petals with a bright yellow stripe along the edge.

Primula Polyanthus, or multi-flowered (Primula poliantha), - a complex hybrid, on the basis of which many varieties have been created. This species is similar to the high primrose, but the flowers are larger, reaching a diameter of 5-6 cm. fragrant flowers of various colors are collected in 5-15 pieces in an inflorescence 10-30 cm high. Flowering begins in mid-May and continues until the end of June.

"Rose Bicoloun"- a hybrid of polyanthic primroses (Supernova series) with excellent uniformity of plants, both in habit and in flowering. large flowers up to 8 cm in diameter, pink along the edge and white in the center.

Growing primrose indoors

Primrose in room conditions is extremely unpretentious and retains its decorative effect with minimal care. Contain plants in a very bright place, but protected from direct midday sunlight. In winter and spring, during flowering, the most favorable temperature for primroses is 12-16°C. In summer, it is desirable to cultivate plants on fresh air. Growing primrose gives gardeners a lot of fun due to the consistently excellent results that are manifested in rapid flowering and rapid set of green mass.

Primrose care at home

During the period of budding and flowering, primroses are watered abundantly. The soil should be constantly moderately moist. It should be watered with soft settled water. It is necessary to avoid getting moisture on the leaves and flowers. The central young leaves of the rosette should be especially protected from water. During the dormant period, watering is reduced.

Primrose care at home requires high humidity especially in heated rooms. A pot of primrose is placed on a pallet with wet gravel or expanded clay. You need to make sure that the bottom of the pot does not come into contact with water. It is also possible to increase the humidity in the room by spraying water next to the plant.

During the period of budding and flowering, the primrose is fed once every two weeks with a liquid complex mineral fertilizer for flowering plants in low concentration.

Plants are transplanted annually in September-October. The soil mixture is prepared from leaf and sod land, peat and coarse sand, taken in equal amounts. Good drainage with a layer of 2-3 cm is required.

Primrose breeding

Reproduction of primrose is carried out by seeds, and forms with double flowers - by cuttings and dividing the bush during transplantation.

Primrose seeds are sown in boxes or pots. At a temperature of 20°C, seedlings appear a week after sowing, at a temperature of 16°C - after two to three weeks, at a temperature of 10 to 12°C - after a month. Primrose seeds quickly lose their germination. So, when stored for seven to eight months, this figure is reduced by half. Seedlings dive into separate pots twice: the first - when the first two leaves appear; the second - when the rosette of leaves reaches a diameter of 3-4 cm. Single specimens often bloom in the second year, but they reach the full decorative effect only in the third or fourth year of life.

Primula auricula forms axillary buds on the rhizome. Rather long superficially located rhizomes can be easily cut. Choose well-developed specimens with several rosettes of leaves. At the beginning of summer, growth points are cut out; after this procedure, new buds on the rhizomes quickly develop. By the end of summer, with good nutrition and plant care, independent bushes of auricles with numerous rosettes are formed. After a year, each of the rosettes of leaves will sit on a rhizome branch. These side branches of the rhizome with rosettes are cut off and used as root cuttings. for rooting cuttings, deep and wide containers are taken, which are filled with sphagnum moss to a depth of 15-20 cm. The cuttings are laid vertically in the moss so that only the tops of the leaves are visible above it. In this case, large leaves are removed. Moss is constantly kept moist. In the first days, the leaves of the cuttings fade slightly, and as the roots form, they are restored. Within a month, about 40% of the cuttings take root. The rest in a month.

primroses are divided in early spring in the third or fourth year of cultivation, when they grow enough. The root system is cleaned of the old soil substrate, the remnants of the earth are washed off with water. With a knife, the plants are divided into several parts, the size of which is chosen arbitrarily. At the same time, each plot should have at least one renewal bud. The surface of the cuts is treated with crushed charcoal. Cooked planting material should not dry out, it should be planted as soon as possible and watered abundantly.

Diseases and pests

The main pests are whiteflies, aphids, thrips, and spider mites. With excessive moisture in the soil substrate, the development of root rot is possible.