The author of the text is Dr. Katarzyna Wróblewska
The well-known and popular type of primrose Primula is a fairly diverse type of plant, including almost half a thousand species found throughout the northern hemisphere - from Europe, through Asia, to North America.Such a large area of occurrence makes these species very diverse: from rock miniatures to moisture-loving, canopy meadow species.
The most famous are European species, considered harbingers of spring.Early flowering, and thus exposure to cold, forces them to have a low rosette habit. Completely different customs are some Asian primroses, included in the Proliferae section. Their flowers appear in late spring and summer, from late May to July, depending on the species.
Most of them have brightly colored flowers gathered in characteristic multi-storey whorls, hence their popular name - candelabra.Thanks to this multi-storey structure, the inflorescences reach considerable height, e.g. the inflorescences of primrose - even 100 centimeters.Most of the species in this section are frost-resistant enough to be grown in our gardens.
Varieties of candelbar primroses
A typical and at the same time the most popular representative of this group is the Japanese primrose Proliferae japonica. Inflorescences of this species begin to appear at the end of May. During flowering, plants reach 60 centimeters high and 45 centimeters wide. The flowers are purple-pink in the species, but many varieties of the Japanese primrose can have yellow, orange, or red flowers.When planted together, they create cheerful multi-colored fields.
In addition to the Japanese primrose, Proliferae bulleyana and Beesa Proliferae beesiana are more and more often grown.The first species is formed by yellow-orange flowers gathered in even "seven-story" inflorescences.They grow up to 60 centimeters. The Beesa primrose, sometimes classified as a subspecies of the previous one, has purple inflorescences reaching 40 centimeters. Hybrids of these two species, included in the species Primrose Proliferae x bullesiana, grow up to 50-70 centimeters.
Proliferae pulverulenta with flowers in various shades of pink is grown even less frequently. In the collections of botanical gardens you can also find other species of candelabrum primroses, e.g. the Cockburn primrose Proliferae cockburniana with openwork orange inflorescences or Proliferae secundiflora with charming bell-shaped flowers in pink-purple color.
Welcome primroses
Other late-flowering primroses
In addition to species from the section Proliferae, among the late-flowering primroses, the primrose Viala Proliferae vialii deserves attention with its unusual soaring clusters composed of numerous, small, two-color flowers.The pink-violet petals contrast with the orange-red calyxes.Plants reach 40-50 centimeters in height.
Slightly shorter, up to 35 centimeters tall, is the capitate primrose Proliferae capitata, which grows naturally in the Himalayas. This species forms characteristic blue-violet flat inflorescences resembling umbrellas.Stems and the underside of the leaves are characteristically whitewashed.Another attractive species that blooms in June and July is the flowering primrose Proliferae florindae. Its flowers, shaped like dangling bells, are creamy yellow.
