Pronounciation: Pri-MUL-a vul-GAR-is

Hardiness zones
Sunset All (seasonally)
USDA All (seasonally)

Landscape Use: Landscape annual for the winter season in Phoenix, bedding or edging plant, container plant, mesic landscapes, colorful accent.

Form & Character: Low and rosetting, diminuative, colorful, cheerful, formal, a veritable British cottage plant, cute.

Growth Habit: Evergreen, herbaceous short-lived perennial (strictly an cool season annual in Phoenix due to heat), somewhat basally clumping to 6-inches tall and wide.

Foliage/Texture: Basally rossetting, indivdual green leaves are 3 to 4 inches in length and about 2-inches wide. Leaf margins are coarsely serrated (crenate to dentate), lamina surface not smooth, veins are prominent, occassionally coarsely pubescent; medium coarse texture.

Flowers & Fruits: The flowers are 1 to 2 inches in diameter, borne singly on a slender elongated stem. The flowers are hermaphrodite. Flower colors are vary from white, pale yellow, orange, pink, red, blue or purple with yellow centers, occassionally bicolor. Fruits are a capsule which open by valves to release the small, black seeds.

Seasonal Color: Depending on cultivar and subspecies hybrid, there are many flower colors during winter and early spring.

Temperature: Common primrose grows best if the cardinal temperature range is between 35^oF and 80^oF (55^oF optimum), intolerant of heat.

Light: Partial to full shade best. In Phoenix, full sun only from late Novemeber through February.

Soil: In Phoenix, common primrose ABSOLUTELY requires a rich, organic-amended soil with acidifiying fertilizers (preferrably controlled release) to keep the growing substrate pH below 7.5.

Watering: Water abundantly to keep soil moist.

Pruning: None

Propagation: Seed propagated, seed germinate best at temperatures of 60^o to 70^oF, and there seems to be a light requirement, sow seed uncovered for best germination. Temperatures over 70^oF inhibit germination.

Disease and Pests: Crown rot if planted too deep and root rot if soils are poorly drained.

Additional comments: Common primrose has been cultivated horticulturally for a long time. In Europe, there are few native plantings that remain because of overharvesting and overcollecting of 'wild' seed. Numerous cultivars exist for garden planting, most of which have been selected from the subspecies sibthorpii or hybrids between subspecies.

For all avid urban grazers: Both flowers and leaves are edible, a great salad garnish with a flavor that ranges from mild to slightly bitter. This 'tasty factor' means that other herbivores will cherish the delectability of common primrose too.