Primula vulgaris
There is a beautiful legend about primroses.
Once the apostle Peter, while guarding the gates of heaven, accidentally dropped from his hands a bunch of golden keys to the kingdom of heaven. Falling on the sinful earth, they scattered, and where they touched the ground, a golden flower with curls and curls grew there. The angel sent after the keys managed to pick them up, but their brilliance and beauty were still embodied in a small lovely flower. So an early primrose with small yellow flowers appeared on the ground.
Since ancient times, primula (Primula) is called primrose, and it belongs to the family of primroses, and the very name "primula" in Latin means "first". In nature, there are 600 species of primroses. The common name of the common primrose is “rams”, since the leaves of the primrose are wavy at the edges, wrinkled and covered with fluff. Primula (primrose) has been known in Russia for a long time. Even under Catherine II, it was bred in greenhouses, and in the Winter Palace there was a collection of porcelain depicting this wonderful flower. Most primroses are low growing perennials with rosette leaves. The rhizome of primroses is short, creeping in some species. The flowering of primroses occurs in early spring - at the end of April - May, and for some it repeats in the fall. The flowers are collected in umbellate or capitate inflorescences, located on bare peduncles. The homeland of the plant is the mountainous slopes of the Alps and the Carpathians. As a medicinal and ornamental plant, primrose was well known in ancient Greece. Currently, primrose is found everywhere almost throughout Europe, the Caucasus, Western Siberia, Near and Central Asia. The classification of species, varieties and hybrids of primroses is based on the shape and arrangement of inflorescences or flowers on plants.
Five groups of common primrose
cushion primroses
The flowers of primroses of this group are solitary, on short peduncles, slightly rising above the rosette of leaves. This group includes primroses: Voronova, ordinary, Julia, small.Umbrella primroses
The flowers of umbellate primroses are collected in a one-sided or round umbrella, rising above a rosette of leaves on a peduncle up to 20 cm high. These are spring primroses, tall, pink, rejected, auricular.Capitate, or spherical primroses have flowers collected in dense capitate inflorescences on a strong peduncle, the height of which during flowering is 15-20 cm, and during fruiting - 30-45 cm. This group includes finely toothed primrose and its varieties, as well as primrose capitate.
Tiered, or candelabra primroses
In primroses of this group, the flowers are collected in whorled inflorescences, consisting of several tiers, located on strong peduncles, and are very similar to candelabra (primroses: Japanese, Bisa, Bulley).bell-shaped primroses
Bell-shaped primroses are distinguished by inflorescences consisting of drooping or drooping flowers and are located above a beautiful rosette of leaves on peduncles of various heights. These are Florinda primrose, Sikkim primrose and Alpine primrose).Types of primroses
spring primrose
Spring primrose (Primula veris) - umbrella-shaped inflorescences of bright yellow fragrant tubular flowers rise on high (up to 25 cm) peduncles over wavy at the edges and slightly pubescent leaves, thanks to which this primrose was called "rams". Originally grown in the light, dry forests of Europe and in nutrient-poor meadows, spring primrose prefers a sunny location and moderately dry, calcareous soil. Common primrose (or stemless), or medicinal primrose, or spring (Primula vulgaris Huds. (Primula acaulis (L.) Hill).) is a perennial herbaceous plant from the primrose family. It is a squat plant with numerous leaves arranged in a rosette. The flowers are solitary light yellow, sometimes come across white. Common primrose grows rapidly, during flowering a hat is formed of several dozen flowers 2.5-3 cm in diameter. Flowering is abundant and long.Primula ear (Primula auricula) - is a low plant (up to 20 cm tall during flowering) with leathery gray-green wintering leaves covered with powdery coating. Yellow, often bicolor, flat flowers, collected in an umbellate inflorescence, bloom in May.
Flowering lasts about a month. All varieties of the Auricula group have good winter hardiness and can be widely used in floriculture, being one of the most decorative primroses. Hybrid forms have a variety of flower colors - from dark brown to pale pink with eyes.
Primula Voronova (Primula woronowii) - blooms in April-May for about a month. It forms a large rosette up to 25-30 cm in diameter and a large number (up to 50 pieces) of pale lilac flowers.Primula high (Primula elatior) - characterized by medium-sized wrinkled foliage and abundant flowering. Light yellow flowers with a darker eye on high (up to 30 cm) peduncles are collected in umbrellas, bloom in May. Flowering lasts over a month.
Primula toothed (Primula denticulata) - extremely decorative and quite winter-hardy. Its lilac, pink, violet or white flowers are collected in a capitate inflorescence 4-10 cm in diameter. Flowering is long - from the end of April for 30-40 days.
The leaves are oblong-lanceolate, during flowering they are 10–15 cm long, by the time of fruiting they grow up to 40 cm.
Primula finely toothed will delight you with magnificent flowers. Planted in small groups, she, like daffodils or muscari, will decorate the spring garden with her spherical inflorescences of purple, pink, white or red colors. From April to May, they replace the earliest primroses.
Primula rejected (Primula patens) - occurs naturally in Siberia and the Far East. This is a very graceful and profusely flowering plant with delicate flowers of various colors (pink, pink, white), collected in an umbrella. Thanks to thin, long, branching rhizomes, this primrose grows well and blooms from mid-May for 20-25 days.
Primula Julia (Primula juliae) - is a wonderful miniature plant, consisting of rounded leathery small leaves pressed to the ground, and magnificent purple flowers, slightly rising above the leaves.
This species blooms very profusely throughout May. Julia's carpet primrose (Primula juliae) does not form leaf rosettes, but lines the ground with a continuous carpet of leaves, on which individual flowers shine like stars.
The ideal place for her is an alpine hill.
It occurs naturally in the Transcaucasus, unfortunately, this is already an endangered species.
Japanese primrose (Primula japonica) - as its name implies, it comes from Japan. Its oblong lanceolate leaves up to 25 cm long have unequal-toothed edges and a noticeable mesh venation. Small crimson, purple-red or dark pink flowers 1.5-2 cm are collected in whorls arranged in tiers on high (up to 35-45 cm) peduncles. It blooms from the end of May for 35-40 days, with the lower tiers of inflorescences blooming first.Primrose home
Early-flowering types and varieties of primrose, such as high primrose and its garden hybrids, the cushion form of the common or stemless primrose, and the spherical primrose, finely toothed, grow well in pots on the balcony and terrace. After flowering, they are usually planted in the garden. But then these flowers can be transferred to the house. To do this, they are transplanted into pots in late autumn and kept in the garden (if climatic conditions permit) or in the basement (or other cool room) until early February. Then they bring it into the house and put it in a bright and cool place. Flowers appear quickly and last for several weeks. After flowering, the plants are again planted in the garden. Primula finely toothed and primrose high are suitable for distillation at home.Primrose cultivation
For planting primroses, choose places preferably without direct sunlight, in partial shade or in weak shade. It is easiest to propagate primroses by dividing rosettes. Primroses grow very quickly on fertile soil, forming powerful bushes that divide easily. Division is carried out in early spring, in July-August or immediately after flowering. The bush is divided into parts of any size, but each of them must have at least one growth bud. This must be done every three to four years.Primrose care
Primula is a very unpretentious and unpretentious plant, while it has unsurpassed decorative qualities, decorating the still bare ground in spring with lush caps of bright flowers. The main care is to periodically loosen the soil, remove weeds and water. Despite the relative unpretentiousness, like any plant, the primrose is responsive to the introduction of rotted organic matter into the soil. Therefore, it is better to plant it in areas with loose fertile soil, moist enough, but without stagnant water during snowmelt. As the bloom fades, it is advisable to cut the flower stalks so that the plant does not waste energy on the formation of seeds if they are not needed for reproduction.After flowering, primroses need to be fed with a small dose of organic or mineral fertilizers in the form of an aqueous solution. This allows them to gain strength for flowering next year and lay a large number of flower buds.
In the sun, the duration of flowering is reduced, and in general the plant suffers from excessive heat and loss of moisture, spreading fading leaves and drooping flower stalks on the ground in the heat. Therefore, in dry weather, abundant watering will be very useful. If primroses are not divided for a long time, then they freeze strongly in winter, because the rhizome with most of the roots is shallow and gradually becomes exposed. For the same reason, it is necessary to add fertile soil to the roots every year in the fall. Older plants bloom less and freeze more strongly in winter. Therefore, it is better not to let their growth take its course and rejuvenate in a timely manner by dividing the outlets.
Diseases and pests of primrose
Primroses are quite resistant to various diseases and are practically not damaged by pests. During prolonged wet weather in summer, slugs can feast on their leaves. It is necessary to avoid dense plantings and periodically inspect outlets in order to destroy pests in time.The use of primrose
Ear primrose is a great plant for landscape design, widely used in landscaping both cities and gardens.
Primrose is used in conjunction with other ground cover plants. Fits well in a mixborder of low perennials, as well as a border.
For rock garden, pubescent primrose (auricula) is best suited.
Auricula primroses are the most hardy and unpretentious primroses that can grow in rocky gardens. Primroses are the main decoration of the spring garden, when there are still few flowering plants.
Primroses near water bodies
Many types and varieties of primrose like humidity and partial shade. They do well among trees and shrubs and are especially suitable for a natural style garden. Combinations of primroses with water are very beautiful in the garden. Plant a pink primrose (Primula rosea) on the bank of the pond in spring and admire its carmine-red flowers. From May to July, the pond is adorned with hybrid varieties of Japanese primrose (Primula japonica) and bullesian primrose (Primula bullesiana).These tall (40-80 cm) plants attract attention with yellow, orange, pink, red or purple flowers arranged in tiers one above the other. Planted in the garden, they prefer rather a shady place and moist, humus-rich soil. A beautiful ensemble near a pond or along the edge of tree plantations, together with primroses, will make up, for example, geyhera, iris, ferns, rhododendron, marsh grasses and sedges. Two more types of primrose feel good near water and under bushes.
Primula Vialya
Primula Vialya (Primula vialii) forms cone-shaped purple inflorescences with a pleasant smell. For the winter, it is recommended to cover it with spruce branches or a layer of dry foliage. Since primroses of this species are rather short-lived, they should be planted or sown more often.florinda primrose
Tibetan primrose Florinda (Primula florindae) bears on a peduncle up to 90 cm long a flat umbrella of numerous yellow bell flowers with a pleasant smell. Blooming only in July-August, this species completes the primrose season. But let this not be a cause for sadness, because their flowering will begin again from next spring.Primrose in cooking
In some European countries, primrose is cultivated as a salad crop. Young leaves and stems of primrose are added to vegetable salads, soups and cabbage soup. Just two leaves of this plant contain the daily dose of vitamin C for an adult. They taste slightly bitter, but the stems and flowers have a pleasant sweetish taste. They can be dried for future use and used in winter in crushed form as a vitamin supplement along with other herbs.The use of primrose in medicine
But above all, primrose is a valuable medicinal raw material in the pharmaceutical industry and is widely used in medicine.The chemical composition of primrose
Primrose roots and rhizomes contain polysaccharides, tannins, phenolic glycosides (primulaverine and primveroside), triterpene saponins (5-10%), essential oils (0.08%), silicic and salicylic acids, betacarotene, vitamins C and E, micro- and macronutrients and other biologically active substances. The leaves of the plant contain saponins (up to 2%), flavonoids, ascorbic acid (up to 700 mg%) and beta-carotene (up to 3 mg%). Primrose flowers contain saponins, flavonoids, essential oil and vitamin C.The healing properties of primrose
Primrose is widely used in official and traditional medicine. Preparations from the roots and rhizomes of primrose have a weak diuretic, diaphoretic and expectorant effect, increase the secretory activity of the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract and bronchi, increase the activity of the ciliated epithelium and accelerate the excretion of sputum from the respiratory tract. Plant preparations are used for coughs, catarrhal gastritis, diseases of the upper respiratory tract, chronic tracheitis, bronchitis and bronchopneumonia, diseases of the nervous system, and as a sedative for insomnia. Fresh primrose leaves are used as a vitamin remedy for making teas and vitamin C concentrates, which are taken to treat beriberi, as well as lethargy, lack of appetite and gum disease. Decoctions and infusions of primrose flowers are used for insomnia, headaches, neuralgia, colds, coughs, gout, rheumatism and as a diaphoretic. Alcohol tincture of primrose flowers is used as a sedative for insomnia and nervous overexcitation. A decoction, tincture and syrup of primrose rhizomes are recommended as a diuretic, as well as an emollient and expectorant for coughs. Outwardly, a decoction of the roots of the plant is used for rinsing with sore throat, larynx and bronchitis. Infusion of primrose leaves is used for gout, diseases of the kidneys and bladder, and mixed with nettle infusion (taken in a volume of 1: 1) for rashes, boils and other skin diseases. A decoction of the leaves of the plant is used externally in the form of lotions and compresses for bruises.Primula - contraindications
The use of primrose preparations is contraindicated during pregnancy, lactation and in case of individual intolerance. The use of primrose can cause allergies in the form of an inflammatory itchy rash. In this case, the medication should be stopped immediately.evening primrose
Let's bring some clarity. The often mentioned evening primrose is actually evening primrose (lat. Oenothera) of the fireweed family (lat. Onagraceae), and it is popularly called primrose (another name is aspen).
Evening primrose has nothing to do with primroses (lat. Primula), which are discussed in this article. You can read more about evening primrose, as well as evening primrose oil.
