Primula vulgaris (common primrose)

Japanese name: プリムローズ
Scientific name: Primula vulgaris

[Overview]
An evergreen or semi-evergreen perennial 10–20 cm tall.
It has a short, thick rhizome.
The leaves are simple and basal, oblanceolate to obovate, 5–25 cm long and 2–6 cm wide.
The upper surface of the leaves is much wrinkled, the underside has soft hairs, and the margins are toothed.
The flowers are usually pale yellow with a yellow throat; the corolla is 2.5–4 cm across and 5-lobed, with each lobe further divided in two at the tip.
The flowers are fragrant.
Some plants have white, pink or reddish purple flowers.
There are long-styled and short-styled flowers.
The fruit is a capsule.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by division.
It prefers a cool climate.
It prefers fertile, moderately moist soil that is well drained and retains water well.
From autumn until flowering, keep it in the sun; after flowering, place it in cool, airy partial shade so that it is not weakened by heat, or, for plants in the ground, plant it under deciduous trees.
Rain damages the flowers while they are blooming, so it is good to provide rain protection.
During the growing period, water thoroughly when the soil surface begins to dry; in winter and summer, keep it somewhat on the dry side, taking care that it does not become too dry.
Apply a slow-release fertilizer rich in phosphorus and potassium as a base fertilizer, and during flowering apply diluted liquid fertilizer once every 2 weeks to 1 month.
If you are not collecting seed, cut off the flowers together with their stalks once they finish so that the plant is not exhausted.
Pests and diseases include damping-off, botrytis, soft rot, gray mold, armyworms, slugs and nematodes.

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