Primula veris 'Lime with Orange' (Cowslip) – Hardy Spring Perennial (Set of 3 or 6)

Primula veris, the native cowslip, brings nodding clusters of soft lime-green flowers with warm orange centres to the garden in spring.

Cowslip is a grassland primula rather than a bog one, so it wants an open, reasonably well drained spot in full sun or partial shade. Each plant makes a flat rosette of crinkled mid-green leaves, with the flower stems held clear above the foliage. It is also one of the few primulas with a real scent, which is worth having near a path or a doorstep.

Fully hardy and long lived, it comes back every year and will naturalise in a border, a rockery, in grass or in a patio container. The early flowers are a useful source of nectar for bees and other pollinators just as they start flying. Supplied as 11cm root-balls, ready to plant out. All primulas can cause a stomach upset if eaten, and the leaves can irritate skin when handled.

Cultural Information

• Common Name: Cowslip
• Fully Grown Height and Spread: 15 to 25cm tall and wide
• Growth Habit: Compact, clump forming rosette
• Perfect For: Borders, rockeries, grass and patio containers
• Foliage: Crinkled mid-green leaves in a basal rosette
• Flowering Time: Spring, April to May
• Planting Position: Full sun or partial shade, and happy in a patio container
• Soil Type: Well drained soil with organic matter worked in, kept from drying out in summer
• Hardiness: Fully hardy across Britain, including in cold winters
• Maintenance: Low. Deadhead to keep it tidy, or leave the seed heads and let it self-seed
• Seasonal Interest: Spring
• Type: Hardy perennial, sold as spring bedding