Primula Crescendo® Bright Red

Primula Crescendo® Bright Red: Fire-Truck Red Before the Trees Leaf Out

Bright red petals and a big yellow eye, showing up in early spring like a fire truck at a quiet street party. This primrose does not ease into the season. SIRENS ON.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Primula elatior hybrid
• Common Name: Oxlip Primrose
• Series: Crescendo®, bred by Benary
• Height: 25 cm (10 in)
• Spread: 20–30 cm (8–12 in)
• Flowers: Bright red with a large yellow eye, in clusters on short, sturdy stems
• Bloom Time: Early to mid-spring (April to May)
• Foliage: Crinkled, medium green leaves in a low rosette
• Features: Early spring colour

Where to Plant: Use it at the front of a part-shade border, along a walkway or tucked under shrubs that leaf out late. Red reads from a long way off, so even a small group gets noticed, and it works well in spring containers and window boxes.

Companion Plants: Use Crescendo® Bright Red in a moist, part-shade bed with wine-red hellebores and a big scarlet hibiscus for summer. Helleborus HGC® Ice N' Roses® Merlot opens deep wine-red flowers at 38 to 45 cm from March to May. Heuchera FYRE WING™ 'Heliodor' adds bright foliage at 28 cm. Hibiscus 'Midnight Marvel' brings huge scarlet blooms at 120 cm from July to September in the sunnier spot. Molinia 'Moorhexe' grows to 60 to 90 cm in flower with fine dark green blades.

Plant Care: Plant in moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil in a spot with spring sun and summer shade. If your soil is heavy clay, add compost before planting. Keep the soil evenly moist, especially in July and August, and use a light mulch to keep the roots cool. Snip off faded flower stems after blooming. Divide crowded clumps every few years, right after flowering, to keep them blooming well.

History: The oxlip, Primula elatior, is a wildflower of European woods and meadows ranging into western Asia, and its genus name comes from the Latin primus, meaning first. The Crescendo® series comes from the German seed company Benary, which bred it for strong winter hardiness and intense flower colour.

Final Thoughts: Low maintenance and deer resistant. Put a few by the front steps and give the mail carrier something to talk about. HONK IF YOU LOVE PRIMROSES.