BULLEY'S PRIMROSE - Primula bulleyana

Bulley's primrose - Primula bulleyana

Bulley's primrose - Primula bulleyana is an absolutely gorgeous species of semi-evergreen perennial from the Primulaceae family. Native to the Yunnan province in China, it was first introduced to European gardeners by George Forrest in 1906. Forrest named this new species of primula after Arthur K Bulley, a cotton broker from Liverpool and a keen amateur gardener who was the first to sponsor Forrest on his many plant hunting expeditions to China. Bulley also founded the Bees Ltd. nursery and was responsible for the introduction of many new hardy plant and alpine species to the UK in the early 20th century.

The natural habitat of Bully's primrose are damp, free-draining hillsides, so it makes sense when planting in a garden environment to plant them in a sunny position although it will tolerate partial shade. Primula bulleyana is best grown in a deep, damp, even boggy soil and will do particularly well beside a pond, but not with the roots completely submerged. It will establishes itself as a strong clump with a couple of years and has proven itself to be very hardy when grown in northern European conditions.

Primula bulleyana will form a basal rosette of simple light-green leaves, 5–14 inches long and 1–4 inches wide and is listed as one of the group known as candelabra primulas. So called because of the tiered arrangement of their flowers. The sturdy, erect flowering stems appear from June to July and can be as much as 24 inches in height. These stems rise in groups bearing 5-7 whorls of orange-yellow flowers 1 inch across which open from red buds. Cut back any spent flower stems.

Primula bulleyana can be propagated by division in early spring, although it will propagate itself by self-sown seedlings so long as the seed lands in damp conditions.

 Primula bulleyana gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit in 1993.

Main image credit - By Eric in SF - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8317802

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