Primula Crescendo® Golden

Primula Crescendo® Golden: Golden Cheer for Grey Spring Days

Big golden-yellow to orange-gold blooms in tight clusters, glowing like somebody found a treasure chest under the snow. This primrose hits the garden like a lottery win. CASH IT IN EARLY.

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: Large, deep golden-yellow to orange-gold, 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: Plant it at the edge of a shady border, along a path or under deciduous shrubs, where it gets bright light in spring. Its warm colour glows in low light, so it's good in a corner that needs cheering up or in a spring container.

Companion Plants: Plant Crescendo® Golden in a moist, part-shade bed with dark heuchera, a glossy fern and late blue monkshood. Heuchera FYRE WING™ 'Jet' adds dark foliage at 18 cm. Asplenium scolopendrium brings glossy, strap-shaped fern fronds at 30 to 50 cm. Aconitum carmichaelii 'Arendsii' rises behind at 120 to 150 cm with deep violet-blue hoods from August to October. 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. Mix compost into clay so the crown doesn't sit wet over winter. Keep the soil evenly moist through summer and add a thin mulch. Hot, dry summer weather is the main thing primroses struggle with. Remove spent flower stems once blooming ends. Lift and divide crowded clumps every few years just after flowering.

History: The oxlip, Primula elatior, grows wild in woods and damp meadows across Europe and into western Asia, and its genus name comes from the Latin primus, meaning first. The Crescendo® series was bred by the German seed company Benary for winter hardiness and strong, clear colours.

Final Thoughts: Deer resistant and low maintenance. Plant a cluster where you can see it from the kitchen. EVERY MORNING, A LITTLE BONUS.