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Drumstick Primula Wikimedia Commons
Primulaceae

Drumstick Primula

Primula denticulata

Mountain purity.

Family
Primulaceae
Genus
Primula
Native to
Himalayas, Afghanistan, China
Bloom season
Spring
Type
perennial
Height
8-12 in
Sunlight
partial shade
Soil
moist, humus-rich, well-drained
Water
moderate to high
Hardiness
2-8
Lifespan
perennial

Did you know

  • The spherical flower heads on tall stems resemble drumsticks, giving this primula its common name and making it instantly recognizable.
  • It grows wild at altitudes up to 14,000 feet in the Himalayas, from Afghanistan through Nepal to western China.
  • Each globe-shaped head contains 30-50 individual flowers that open sequentially from the bottom upward.
  • It is one of the hardiest primulas, surviving winter temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees in Zone 2.
  • Victorian plant hunters risked their lives collecting specimens in remote Himalayan valleys, and it was first described by Sir James Edward Smith in 1805.

Color meanings

0

early youth

1

I cannot live without you

2

patience

Uses

  • ornamental garden plantings
  • woodland gardens
  • bog gardens
  • container plantings