Primula japonica Mixed

The Primula japonica Mixed selection, or Japanese primrose, is a carefully hand-prepared mix of seeds. It brings together fascinating candelabra primroses, with upright flower stalks carrying flowers in white, pink, red or violet shades, often marked with a contrasting eye, arranged in whorls. These hardy perennial plants thrive in the sun or shade in cool to moist soil. They are perfect for bordering water features or in damp woodland areas.

The Japanese primrose, also known as Primula japonica section Candelabra, is a relatively unknown, reliable, and robust plant in the primrose family, yet it is rarely used in gardens. It is a vigorous deciduous herbaceous perennial species native to wet and wooded areas of Japan. The selection we offer gathers various cultivars derived from this plant. They form rosettes from which upright flower stalks emerge in late spring or summer, reaching heights of 30 to 60 cm (12 to 24in) with a spread of 30 to 40 cm (12 to 16in). The lanceolate, deciduous foliage is light green, with toothed leaves measuring 10 to 30 cm (4 to 12in) in length and crinkled. Flowering occurs from May to June in the form of tall vertical stalks producing several whorls of flowers forming tiers. Depending on the plants, the flowers are white, pink, red or violet, often marked with a darker and contrasting centre. They measure 1 to 2 cm (0 to 1in) in diameter.

Candelabra primroses are useful for flowering shady and damp gardens and thrive at the edge of watercourses in fertile, always cool, moist soil. They can be associated with astilbes, hostas, persicarias and rodgersias. Plant them in vigorous groups for greater impact. They are very robust and have a good lifespan if they are never short of water. This selection also allows for beautiful borders, filling shaded rockeries, and performs well in pots and planters.