Primula 2023

[partisangardener]

Primula mistassinica has quite variable leaf forms.
To the right is my most dentate variation yet. I wonder what the flower will look like, because I see some red at the leaf base. Most are just green.

[Margaret Thorne]

The same single plant of Primula reidii var. williamsii as I posted in May is now flowering again and appears to be setting seed too; if so, it must have been insect pollinated.

[ashley]

The same single plant of Primula reidii var. williamsii as I posted in May is now flowering again and appears to be setting seed too; if so, it must have been insect pollinated.

Those seedpods look very promising Margaret.  What a lovely plant.

[FrazerHenderson]

The Plant Atlas 2020 for Britain and Ireland is a marvellous resource and one can spend many an hour exploring the distribution of native and non-native plants - for example, the native Primula scotica and the introduced Primula florindae

Primula scotica
https://plantatlas2020.org/atlas/2cd4p9h.94q
Primula florindae
https://plantatlas2020.org/atlas/2cd4p9h.ngx

If you delete species epithet in top left-hand all known primula species recorded in Britain and Ireland will be listed and then you can select one to explore. Happy plant hunting.

[Margaret Thorne]

Primula florindae is quite a thug in our garden, I nearly banned it, but it is the only species that has done really well this year. It seems ironic this Himalayan primula has become established in the wild while so many of the less thuggish ones, like Primula reidii, are being lost from our gardens. Primula sikkimensis is much better behaved, but seems not to have become established.

[Leena]

Margaret, P.reidii looks lovely!

Also here P.florindae does well. I have tried many times other candelabra primulas in the same bed, and all have died during winters, but P.florindae survives. It hasn't self seeded but it could be that there is no room for the seeds to germinate. P.florindae along with P.sieboldii are the best Primulas in my garden. It is not that our climate doesn't suit other Primulas, because I know that they can be grown here, it is something in my soil which they hate. (I have only one spot moist enough where I can grow candelabra Primulas or belled Primulas, and there isn't room there for others any more.)
This picture is from last week.

[partisangardener]

Maybe lack of self-seeding  is because most of those Primulas need open soil or mossy sites without much plant-cover for their primal stages.
Maybe try some bucket with a small floating island for the first year? Then you won´t have to worry about regular care and can plant them in autumn or spring.

[Leena]

Thanks but getting them to over winter is the biggest problem, so I have decided to grow only plants which do well (or at least do reasonably well) in my garden. 
There are so many plants, and also colour variations of plants which do well, and new plants to try, so I don't want to keep hitting my head to the wall with plants I know don't do well in my condition and soil.

You are right about self-seeding needing open soil, and that is probably why I don't have P.florindae self-seeding.

[Margaret Thorne]

Margaret, P.reidii looks lovely!

Thanks, Leena. The three later flowers do not appear to have been pollinated, but the original one is developing well, so it may produce fertile seed. P. reidii was listed in the last (76th) SRGC seed exchange, so somebody should be congratulated for succeeding with it. Sadly I know of no other soldanelloides section species available in cultivation, though I hope Primula reidii var. reidii, P. soldanelloides, P. wigramiana and P. wollastonii still survive somewhere.
This year on our travels we saw the last of these in Nepal, but only just coming into flower, so this photo is from a previous trip.

[Margaret Thorne]

My thanks to the person who donated seed of Primula reidii var. williamsii to The Meconopsis Group seed exchange, circulated as 21/163. Ours was sown on 09/02/2022 and the single plant raised is in flower now. It has exquisite fragrance.
Is it possible to self-pollinate a single thrum plant and obtain seed? Does anyone nearby have a pin plant for matchmaking? Is there any chance of it being perennial?
Any helpful suggestions about perpetuating this plant would be gratefully received!

Our single Primula reidii var. williamsii set seed which has now germinated and the original plant is in flower again; so it is self-fertile and perennial

[Claire Cockcroft]

What a treat!  Lovely violet tinge on the flower's edge.

[Margaret Thorne]

What a treat!  Lovely violet tinge on the flower's edge.

These and most of the ones in cultivation are var. williamsii from Nepal rather than the pure white ones we saw in Himachal

[Maggi Young]

I just wish we could add scent  to these posts!!