Specialist Plant Fairs
in Unique Gardens

Primulas for the Woodland or Shady Garden

Nigel Rowland, from Long Acre Plants in Somerset, with a wealth of choices for primulas for shade. - 28 March 2025

The UK has 5 species of native primula. Primula farinosa and P. scotica are beyond the scope of this article, but the other three species, the oxlip Primula elatior, the cowslip Primula veris and (everyone’s favourite) the primrose Primula vulgaris, unique enough to give its name to the colour (primrose) are. These three species have hybridized in the wild and in gardens, and been selected by gardeners over hundreds of years, creating a myriad of forms. It is a book title in itself, so I can only give a taste of what is available. We also have a second group from the orient which can give some late Spring and early Summer flowers.

Most of the primroses on the market come from these three species and hybrids; some also have genes from another European species P. juliae. They essentially are in two groups; the acaulis type where the flowers are borne on individual short stems, such as in the primrose, and the polyanthus type where the flowers are on a umbel around a tall stem such as in the oxslip or cowslip.

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Primula elatior

The three native species all are good garden plants; indeed Primula vulgaris was given an AGM in the recent RHS trial . We have a good form of the oxlip Primula elatior in our woodland garden that has established and seeded around with us for 30 years but been grown by us for 40 or so years. Our strain originally came from a friend (Micheal Block) who had a small nursery on the south side of Greenham Common in the days of cruise missiles and CND. He liked to visit Germany and Austria in the Summer to practice his German and one year they found a tall primula with ripe seed in a wood in Austria. He brought some seed back and they have been with us ever since. It is in flower with the snowdrops in February and a succession of flower stems last till mid-May in a cool year.

Primula vulgaris, like P. elatior, likes a heavy, moisture-retentive soil; they are not pH sensitive. Cowslips naturally grow in grassy, open, well-drained sites but have passed their genes on to the polyanthus types (Primula x polyantha = P. vulgaris x P. veris), some of which are good shade loving primulas.

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Primula x digenea (P. vulgaris x P. elatior)

A white form of Primula vulgaris has been found several times and brought into cultivation, once on Gigha the lovely inner Hebridean island the origin gave it its cultivar name (P. v. 'Gigha'). Another was found in Cornwall and goes by the name ‘Harbinger’; Primula vulgaris ‘Taigetos’ is similar and recently received an AGM.

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Primula vulgaris 'Gigha'

Many Primula vulgaris forms and hybrids are available from specialists. Some of my favourites include Primula 'Hall Barn Blue', a classic, old blue flowered primrose cultivar recently cleaned up; Primula 'Guinevere', a classic Irish cultivar with bronze foliage and pink flowers; and Primula ‘David Valentine’, a polyanthus type with pale pink flowers on 15cm stems. The miniature polyanthus type 'Lady Green' is similarly lovely with pale lemon fragrant flowers and a creeping habit.

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Primula vulgaris 'Hall Barn Blue'

Primula vulgaris var sibthorpi is native to Eastern Europe and has pink flowers with a yellow eye. 'Wanda' is a vibrant magenta flowered hundred year old form, easy to grow with a creeping habit. These are all tough garden plants. Some of the primrose and polyanthus types in garden centres have not been bred to be “hardy” but to be quick to produce with large flowers and should be treated as annuals.

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Primula 'Wanda'

Double primroses are available and do need regular division to be perennial. They can get congested and die out if left. The recently raised 'Belarina' types are very popular; maybe some of the colours are not for me but others, particularly Primula 'Belarina Cream', are lovely.

All of the above benefit from dividing ideally in late August or September every other year and freshening up the soil. If you want them to seed well I would suggest learning about ‘Pins’ and ‘Thrums’ essentially the stigma and anthers being exerted on different plants and get both to ensure seed set.

Later in the year Asiatic primulas come to the fore. As with many genera, the European woodland species tend to flower early when the leaves are not on the deciduous trees and the suns rays can hit the soil. Asiatic species tend to be more in tune with the summer monsoon rains.

The Japanese Primula sieboldii flowers in May with a myriad of flower forms and colours, they haven’t been as popular in UK gardens as possibly they should be. Personal favourites include ‘Snowflake’ with deeply dissected white flowers, and ‘Manakoora’ in shades of light blue and lavender. ‘Dart Rapids’ was raised in South Devon by Julian and Sarah Sutton and has white flowers cast with pale blue and darker blue on the petals reverse. These will do well in a typical woodland garden or a north wall type bed. They will go dormant early in Summer if dry but will emerge again the following spring. Division in Autumn is best or just as the first leaves emerge in Spring is second best.

Belled primulas (the flowers are bell shaped and hang in an umbel) such as Primula florindae and Primula alpicola are grown in damp soil and are happy in shade or with very moist soils or in areas of high rainfall in full sun. These two are intensely fragrant. Primula florindae, if grown in bog-type conditions, will get very large, up to 1.2 m, and is typically yellow, but orange and red forms are available, especially the very lovely ‘Ray’s Ruby’ in clean dark red.

Candelabra Primulas (the flowers are arranged in whorls up the stem) are well known as plants suitable for moist stream /pond edges but will also do in areas of high tree canopy and moist-ish soils, or north wall type beds, and particularly in higher rainfall areas. Having said that, I have seen large beds of thriving Primula japonica, in white, pink or scarlet, and Primula pulvulenta (red) in the classic Bagshot sands, Surrey woodland gardens with low annual rainfall, proving that, once again, plants don't read textbooks!

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Primula pulvulenta

Primula bulleyana, in yellow, and Primula beesiana, in pink, are easy species, up to 60 cm. The hybrids between the two, Primula x bulleesiana (sometimes available as Primula ‘Harlow Carr Hybrids’), come in all the colours in between the terracotta and apricot are particularly popular. Other strains and clones have been selected over the years and make good garden plants.

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