Primula palinuri (Au)

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Palinuro auricula

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Palinuro auricula RHS / Joanna Kossak
Palinuro auricula RHS / Joanna Kossak
Palinuro auricula RHS
Alpine Rockery
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A rosette-forming evergreen perennial, with fleshy mid-green leaves that are sometimes hairy and lightly toothed. Produces clusters of many lightly scented, funnel-shaped flowers with silvery calyxes, yellow petals and a ring of creamy white at the throats, on stout stems in late winter and early spring

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Loam, Sand, Chalk

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
1–2 years
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Loam Sand Chalk
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Exposed or 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)
H7

Colour & Scent

Fragrance Flower
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
Correct
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
Plant Range
Italy

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow outdoors in well drained soil in full sun, or in an alpine house or cold frame in a mix of equal parts peat-free, loam-based potting compost, leaf mould and grit. Avoid wetting the foliage when watering

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown as soon as ripe, or in late winter or early spring, or by division between autumn and early spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Coastal
  • Rock garden
  • Gravel garden
  • Patio and container plants
  • Banks and slopes
  • Conservatory and greenhouse

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, red spider mites, leafhoppers, vine weevil and slugs

Diseases

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