Primula 'Tony' (Au) | auricula 'Tony'

RHS

Synonyms

Primula marginata 'Toni'

Alpine Rockery

A vigorous, compact, rosette-forming, evergreen perennial up to 8cm high with obovate, toothed, mid-green leaves, up to 4cm long, and abundant clear white flowers, to 3cm across, either singly or in umbels, from late winter to early spring

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

Up to 10 cm

Max Spread

0-0.1 metre

Size

Time to Maturity: 5–10 years
Max Spread: 0-0.1 metre
Max Height: Up to 10 cm

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand

Moisture: Well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade

Aspect: South–facing or West–facing or East–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
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: Auricula section primulas are evergreen perennials with leathery, often farinose foliage and simple umbels of salver-shaped flowers which are usually pink, purple or yellow

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in an alpine house or bulb frame, in a well-drained mix of equal parts peat-free, loam-based compost, leafmould and grit; avoid wetting the leaves

Propagation

Propagate by division of offsets between autumn and early spring, by basal softwood cuttings in autumn or early spring, or by root cuttings when dormant in winter

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Patio and container plants

Pruning

No pruning required, but removing dead leaves will reduce the risk of grey moulds

Pests

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

Diseases

May be susceptible to primula brown core, grey moulds, primula leaf spots, and virus diseases