Primula japonica - Japanese Primrose

Primrose is a <strong>perennial plant</strong> that you have likely encountered in the wild, at the edge of a forest or in meadows: it is the "<strong>Cowslip</strong>" or <strong>Primula officinalis</strong> with delicate yellow flowers atop upright stems. However, it is also common in gardens in its cultivated form, <strong><em>Primula acaulis</em></strong>, where it takes on much brighter colours: often <strong>red, pink, yellow, white, or blue</strong>. It signals to us the <strong>arrival of spring</strong> with an <strong>explosion of colours</strong>! With it comes the end of the bad season and the renewal of the garden. Its vibrant flowers bring <strong>vitality</strong> and <strong>dynamism</strong> to the flowerbeds. [caption id="attachment_9562" align="aligncenter" width="1172"]<a href="https://www.promessedefleurs.ie/perennials/perennials-by-variety/primula-primroses/primula-veris-cowslip.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="size-full wp-image-9562" src="https://www.promessedefleurs.com/blogwp/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Primula_veris_LD_Stephan_Lefnaer.jpg" alt="Primrose - Primula veris" width="1172" height="781" /></a> Primula veris - Photo: Stephan Lefnaer[/caption] It often flowers <strong>very early in spring</strong>, sometimes in late winter (as early as February for <em>Primula acaulis</em>). The <strong>Asian primroses</strong> are later and bloom in <strong>summer</strong>. When conditions are right, it can also provide a second flowering in autumn. Most species are <strong>hardy</strong> and require little maintenance. If for you the Primrose is a common, classic plant, let yourself be surprised by the <strong>diversity of its forms and colours</strong>! If you think they are small plants, not exceeding 30 cm in height, discover the <strong>candelabra primroses</strong> with sumptuous flower spikes reaching sometimes 1.20 m! There are <strong>hundreds of species</strong> with distinct colours and forms, some with <strong>original flowerings</strong>, sometimes <strong>bicoloured</strong>, or even <strong>tricoloured</strong>. Each has its own style: they can be delicate and discreet, appearing very natural... and sometimes it’s the exact opposite: they take on particularly bright colours, with almost unreal contrasts, even surprising. These colour combinations, sometimes so strange that one would not have dared to associate them, often turn out to be beautiful successes!