Primula japonica Millers Crimson - Japanese Primrose

Primula japonica 'Miller's Crimson' is a lovely deciduous perennial with large pale green dentate leaves, about 20 cm (8 in) in length. This candelabra primrose bears on 60 cm (24 in) tall flower stalks crowns of dark carmine-red tubular flowers, from May to July. This perennial appreciates moist to marshy soils. A location near a stream or pond, preferably in the shade, is ideal. Without maintenance, it thrives on its own by randomly spreading everywhere. In flower beds, it brings height and lightness and can also be grown in pots.

Primula japonica, a candelabra primrose species, is a lovely deciduous perennial whose flowering accompanies spring flower beds in between bulb blooms. It beneficially garnishes the foliage of other perennials still in bud. The large ovate, dentate leaves are light green in colour and the bright pink flowers arranged in whorls are staggered in 5 to 6 ranks. Almost all perennials and sometimes annuals, but rarely shrubs, primroses display incredible diversity. It is a complex genus, which we have been cultivating for 25 years, but to understand the very different ways of living of all the rare species, one must 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 is therefore up to you to choose those that you think you can master!

Vigorous and very cold-resistant, the Japanese primrose 'Miller's Crimson' is rather easy to succeed, although it has its requirements. It thrives in shade or partial shade, in a sufficiently humid, moist but well-drained soil. In a flower bed under the shade of shrubs or a tree, create a bed by mixing your candelabra primroses with small ferns, hostas, and bleeding hearts, for example. It also complements the foliage of heucheras and tiarellas very well. Do not forget to add some bulbs to your flower beds to make them attractive in spring: consider scillas and muscaris that tolerate shaded situations very well. In a colourful combination, mix this primrose with Meconopsis cambrica which blooms for a large part of the year.