Primula March 2007

[Armin]

Hello,
today I made a discovery on a single primrose hybrid.
It is likely a cross between P. vulgaris x veris (or elatior).

The surprising thing is: the hybrid shows both flower growths forms in one plant!
It has many stems with a single flower like vulgaris but also a stem with multiple flowers like veris or elatior.
Is this a common feature for primroses hybrids os something special?
Let's chat...

[Maggi Young]

Armin, I have sometimes seen this happen with Primula polyanthus types, where the plant has both single flower stems and multi-scapes on the same plant. I do not know what causes such instability in these hybrid types.

[David Nicholson]

Another example of my inability to chuck out failed seed grown Auriculas. This was grown from collected seed from Alpine Auriculas and flowered last year for the first time. It aint an Alpine and it has a "ragged" petal but it does have a nice flush of pink to the white petals and quite pretty mealed foliage. Rather than taking offsets I decided to grow it on as a multi stemmed plant and see what it looked like as a Border Auricula. Well, I have only one flower stem so far this year but I still can't bring myself to chuck it.

[Maggi Young]

But it's sweet, David, why would you want to ditch it?

[David Nicholson]

But its sweet, David,, why would you want to ditch it?

Only because it doesn't fit into the acceptable Florists "norms" for Auricula showing and the good growers tell me I should be more disciplined in what I keep and what I chuck out. Apart from that I like the little plant and no doubt I shall keep it but the more I do that the less room I have for the "perfect" varieties, if I ever grow any!!

[Maggi Young]

Then plant it out in the garden: the farina will get washed off, but it will still be a pretty plant outside.

[David Shaw]

Somehow it reminds me of Lily!

[David Nicholson]

If I grow it on  and if it improves, and if I show it in a Border seedling class, and if it wins a card I shall be invited to name it. The name shall be "Lily of Craigton"

[Joakim B]

Stunning flowers every one nice to the vulgaris (polyantha hybrids).
We have them naturalized in the garden with veris as the base ond the vulgaris as shorter therm gene doners to the hybrids.
These two seems to stay much longer and are the first to open.
The cream colored one becomes more with with time or light and the purple is a nice colur that I think has shown itself in our garden for the first time. It is much more tight compared to the polyanthes and the flower is also smaller. The cream one is a cultivar that is long in cultivation in Sweden.

Hope You like them.
Joakim

[Lesley Cox]

David, your white auricula is a real beauty. Chuck the "good growers" and keep the primula! Definitely.