Primula auricula 'Gwen' (Au/A)

RHS / Joanna Kossak

Alpine Rockery Conservatory Greenhouse

An evergreen, perennial, alpine auricula, up to 15cm tall, with rosettes of light green leaves. Clusters of rich purple flowers with broad, pale margins, a white centre and a white eye, are produced in spring

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Loam

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height: 0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Loam

Moisture: Moist but well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade

Aspect: East–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H5

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Primulaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Clump forming
Potentially harmful: Skin allergen. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
Genus: Primula are herbaceous or semi-evergreen perennials, forming a basal rosette of simple leaves, with salver-shaped or bell-shaped flowers which may be solitary or carried in an umbel or in whorls on an erect stem
Name Status: Accepted
Horticultural Group

Horticultural Classification Codes

Horticultural Classification Codes are often given to genera which have a large number of species or cultivars. They are used to categorise cultivated plants based on specific, shared characteristics such as shape, colour, size or flowering time, and can be displayed as letters or numbers

For example:
Dahlia ‘Sunset Kate (Sin) = Single flower
Rosa ‘Marigold’ (HT) = Hybrid Tea: Alpine Auricular group primulas have sharp contrast between the colour of the centres and the petals. They are classed as light-centred (white or pale in the centres) or gold-centred (yellow or gold in the centres).

How to Grow

Cultivation

Alpine auriculas are best grown in pots in an alpine house or cold frame, in a mix of equal parts peat-free, loam-based potting compost, leaf mould, peat-substitute and grit. Alternatively, grow in moderately fertile, moist but well-drained, humus-rich soil in full sun or partial shade

Propagation

Propagate by division or by separating and rooting offsets, after flowering

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Rock garden
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

No pruning required but deadhead after flowering, and remove dead or damaged leaves as necessary

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, glasshouse red spider mite, slugs, leafhoppers and vine weevils

Diseases

May be susceptible to a virus, primula brown core and grey moulds