Clump-forming native woodland-edge perennial with pale yellow flowers held just above a rosette of crinkled leaves. One of the very first flowers of spring.
Hardiness ratings
| System | Rating | Temperature range | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| USDA hardiness zone | Zone 4–8 | −34.4 °C to −6.7 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| RHS hardiness rating | H7 | down to −20 °C | Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance |
| Canadian plant hardiness zone | Zone 4–8 | −29 °C to −1 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| Australian (ANBG) zone | Zone 1–5 | −15 °C to 10 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
About Primrose
The primrose's name comes from prima rosa, first rose, for its early flowering. It shows a botanical arrangement that fascinated Darwin, who studied it closely: individual plants bear either pin-eyed or thrum-eyed flowers, with the style and anthers at opposite heights, an arrangement that promotes cross-pollination between the two forms. It is a woodland-edge plant of damp, cool ground and is often used as an indicator of ancient woodland in Britain. The many bright bedding polyanthus sold in winter are hybrids derived from it and related species.
Growing notes
- Larval food plant for the duke of burgundy butterfly — declining in parallel with the loss of coppiced woodland
- Among the very first flowers of spring — a classic seasonal marker
- Thrives in dappled shade on hedge banks and woodland edges
Categories
Related plants
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