Primula japonica - Japanese Primrose

Primula japonica, a species of candelabra primrose, is a beautiful deciduous perennial plant whose flowering accompanies spring beds in succession to bulbs, it advantageously fills the foliage of other perennials still in bud. The large ovate and dentate leaves are light green in colour and the bright pink flowers arranged in whorls are staggered in 5 to 6 rows.

Almost all perennials, sometimes annuals, rarely shrubby, primroses are incredibly diverse. It is a complex genus, which we have been cultivating for 25 years, but to understand the very different ways of life of all the rare species, you have to spend a lot of time with them and know that they do not forgive any mistakes. They can all be cultivated by a careful amateur. Some are easy to grow, others less so. it's up to you to choose the ones you think you can master the cultivation of!

Vigorous and very cold-resistant, the Japanese primrose is rather easy to grow, however it has its requirements: it thrives in shade or partial shade, in a humus-bearing, moist but well-drained soil. In a bed in the shade of shrubs or a tree, mix your candelabra primroses with small ferns, hostas and bleeding hearts for example. It also complements the foliage of heucheras and tiarellas very well. Don't forget to plant some bulbs in your beds to give them a spring interest, consider scillas and muscari which tolerate shaded situations very well. In a colourful combination, mix this primrose with the Meconopsis cambrica which blooms for a large part of the year.