When thinking ‘winter garden’, the vibrant palette offered to us by Primula malacoides (Fairy Primrose) and its cousin Primula acaulis (English Primrose) are among the first thoughts that come to mind. Both malacoides and acaulis belong to the Primulaceae family, originating in the northern hemisphere, and indigenous to Europe and much of Southeast Asia, but thanks to the work of breeders and the innate resilience of the plant, Primulas are now thriving across the globe.The name Primula is derived from the feminine diminutive of the Latin word “primus”, meaning first, because they are among the first of the spring plants to flower. Don’t be fooled by their seemingly high maintenance names though, especially the Fairy, or their delicate appearance as they are tough, hardworking plants that need little attention once established. They even have a built in defence mechanism in the form of a chemical called primulin, particularly prevalent in P. abconica and malacoides which is deposited on their leaves by tiny hairs and can cause nausea and skin irritations, in more sensitive people, with direct contact. Breeders have all but eliminated this in our modern day hybrids though, so much so that very few suffer an extreme reaction, if any at all.
