THE ORCHID PRIMULA - Primula vialii

The Orchid primula - Primula vialii

The orchid primula is arguably one of the most delicate and beautiful of all the primula species. Native to the Chinese regions of north-west Yunnan and south-west Szechwan this distinctive species differs from many of it relatives because of its highly ornamental, compound flower spike.

Primula vialii was first brought to the attention of European gardeners after its discovery by the well-known Scottish plant hunter George Forrest (1873-1932). It was originally named Primula littoniana after his friend, Consul G. Litton, however this is now relegated to a synonym. It turns out that Forrest was beaten to the post by another plant hunter, the French missionary botanist Père Delavay who had already named this new discovery Primula vialii.

The Orchid primula - Primula vialii

In its native habitat the orchid primula prefers to grow in wet meadows, near water in valleys and rather strangely in thickets of prickly oak bushes.

The erect, spear-shaped (lanceolate) leaves are produced in tufts and are a light green in colour. They are are soft, hairy and can be as much as 30 cm long on mature plants.

The flowers are produced from June to July and are formed on stout stems up to 60 cm tall. The flower buds and calyces are scarlet while the flowers themselves open up to a lavender-blue colour.

When grown as a garden plant the orchid primula is best grown under light woodland conditions but in a suitably moist, slightly acidic soil. They will they also grow in a more open situation so long as the are not allowed to dry out over the summer. They are often grow as an aquatic marginal plant and while they may tolerate waterlogged conditions they will not thrive.

Primula vialii received the Award of Garden Merit (AGM) from the Royal Horticultural Society in 1993.

Image credits - By I, KENPEI, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4041931

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