Primula 'Miss Indigo'

DOUBLE PRIMROSE
syn. N/A
Family: Primulaceae
Pronounced: PRIM-yew-la

 

Quick Jumps

Growing Guide
Rainy Side Notes

---

GROWING GUIDE

Origin:
Garden.
Plant group:
Perennials.
Hardiness:
Sunset zones: 1-24.
USDA zones: 5-8.
Heat zones: 7-5.
Mature size:
Height: 4-6 inches (10-15 cm).
Width: 6-8 inches (15-20 cm).
Flowering period:
March to April.
Flowering attributes:
Purple-blue, rose-like, double flowers, edged in white.
Leaf attributes:
Semi evergreen leaves.
Growth habit:
Rosette forming.
Light:
Partial, dappled shade and full sun (full sun in cool summer climates only).
Soil:
Moist, humus rich, well-drained, neutral to slightly acidic soil.
Feeding:
In spring, side dress with compost, manure, or leaf mold and a complete organic fertilizer.
Propagation methods:
Divide after flowering.
Divide in autumn in mild winter areas.

 

Rainy Side Notes

I love a plant with a good backstory, especially one with a Northwest flavor to it, and Primula ‘Miss Indigo’ has an interesting one.

If you know much about primulas, you are most likely familiar with Barnhaven primroses. During the depression, Florence Bellis began her journey with primroses and a packet of seed and no knowledge on how to grow them. Some of the most important breeding work that set the standard for primroses today came from this Oregon woman.

Barnhaven Primrose* introduced many doubles, which are still popular to this day. Barnhaven began in Oregon by Florence Bellis, whose Primula work helped establish the American Primrose Society. Florence not knowing anything about hybridizing, let alone primroses, taught herself how to propagate her stock. Instead of using a brush to pollinate her plants she used her finger. Her digits loaded with pollen helped her plants set copious amounts of seed unlike the traditional, painstaking work of using a brush. Her methods are now an industry standard for propagating primroses. Primula 'Miss Indigo' was a result of this work. Thirty years of crossing and backcrossing is why there are many stunning clear colors in the flowers, and is also why we enjoy the stable seed strains we see in the market today.

Double primroses do not set seed and have very little pollen. A single Primula flower needs to be the seed parent. Collecting pollen from a double flower means hybridizers must dissect it to reach what little pollen the flower harbors. Knowing this makes me appreciate double primroses even more.

*Barnhaven Primrose is now based in France, where the nursery continues to use Florence Bellis hand-pollinating methods and continues to create the original Barnhaven strains.

More primroses.

Debbie Teashon
Photographed in author's garden.