Primula auricula 'Forest Winter' (Au/d)

RHS Plant Profile
auricula 'Forest Winter'

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Herbaceous Perennial
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A compact, rosette-forming, evergreen perennial with mid-green, leathery foliage and double, frosted plum-purple flowers, appearing in the spring

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

Up to 10 cm

Max Spread

0-0.1 metre

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
0-0.1 metre
Max Height
Up to 10 cm

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade
Aspect
East–facing or North–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
Unresolved
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 full sun or partial shade in moderately fertile, moist but well-drained, humus-rich soil. See Primula for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by division in autumn or 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

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, vine weevil, slugs, leaf and bud eelworms, leaf-mining flies and glasshouse red spider mite

Diseases

May be susceptible to primula leaf spot, primula brown core and grey moulds