These traditional fully frost-hardy plants will survive the harshest of British winters and will reward you with a burst of colour in the spring. Primroses are part of the Primula family, named from the Latin primus meaning first, the first flowers to appear in the spring.
Primroses are easy to grow and are not prone to attacks from disease. Keep slugs away with pellets or beer traps if they prove a problem. Remove any leaves which show signs of leaf spot, as these can cause fungal spots. Groups of yellow spots turning darker in colour on the underside of leaves can be identified as Primula Rust – this is not an invasive problem, and the leaves can either be left or removed; grey mould or downy mildew which requires chemical treatment.
Generally primroses flower in the spring and flowering time can vary depending on weather conditions. After a very harsh winter the flowering may be slightly delayed, whereas a mild winter encourages earlier flowers.