Primula sikkimensis ^AGM

Primulaceae

Primula sikkimensis

Primula sikkimensis

Primula sikkimensis with Rheum alexandrae

The Sikkimensis section contains first-rate plants for places in the garden that are not too hot and dry, or even are very wet. They die down completely in the winter, but in spring make clumps of rounded leaves in distinct stems. Then the tall flower stems grow, each bearing two or three large whorls of flowers. Each flower is on its own long stem (pedicel), so that they arch outwards and downwards. They are wonderfully scented, and are coloured white, cream, yellow, orange, red, maroon or purple, with the insides often covered in cream powder.

		Primula alpicola has two or three whorls of flowers towards to tops of the tall flower stems. Flowers can be white, yellow or shades of purple, and are deliciously scented. The strains, grown from seed, normally come true. The catalogue entry represents a mixture of the flower colours. The plants are completely deciduous.
		Primula alpicola (purple/white) has two or three whorls of flowers towards the tops of the tall flower stems. The flowers of these plants should be white or shades of purple, and are deliciously scented. The strains, grown from seed, normally come true.
		Primula alpicola var. alba has two or three whorls of white flowers, with a hint of a creamy colour, finely scented, towards the tops of the tall flower stems. The plants die down completely in winter.
		Primula alpicola var. alpicola has two or three whorls of white flowers, finely scented, towards the tops of the tall flower stems. The plants die down completely in winter.
		Primula alpicola 'Kevock Sky' is a strain that we have established from a plant originating in our garden. The flowers, in two or three whorls towards to top of the tall stems, are larger than is usual for this species, and they are a pale mauve colour. We referred to it as 'sky blue', but that is an exaggeration. We have called it Primula alpicola 'Kevock Sky', which is not (yet) a registered name.
		Primula alpicola var. violacea has two or three whorls of flowers that are usually quite a rich purple colour, occasionally somewhat paler. That have a wonderful scent. The foliage dies away completely in winter.
		Primula alpicola var. violacea wine red comes from plants that have flowers that are port wine coloured when they open, fading a little in time, but still remaining deep purple. They are produced in two or three whorls on the tall stem, and are scented.
		Primula firmipes is a small member of the Sikkimense section, with pretty soft yellow flowers. These are held in loose mopheads of up to eight individual blooms on stems that are covered in a delicate dusting of yellow farina. It is native to the border area linking Tibet, Yunnan, Myanmar and Assam, and although it was introduced to cultivation by George Forrest in 1924, it soon disappeared and has only returned to cultivation within the last decade. It is great for damp areas but will benefit from a mulch of grit to slightly lift the basal leaf rosette.
		Primula florindae is easy, in a damp place. In a soggy area of our garden that we call a lawn we mow these primulas, which survive but don't grow very tall! Elsewhere, they can grow to a magnificent 120 cm or more tall, and have one (occasionally two) whorls of flowers on short spreading or hanging pedicels (stems), sometimes a hundred or more, with a lovely scent. Most have soft yellow flowers (the Tibetan cowslip) or are a pale orange, but others can be quite a bright red. This catalogue entry represents a mixture of the usual yellow or orange forms.
		Primula ioessa var. hopeana is variously regarded as a species in its own right, a variety of sikkimensis, and most recently placed as a variety of Primula ioessa. Whatever the taxonomy, it is a refined primula, smaller than some members of the sikkimensis section, with up to about 8 ivory white or creamy flowers, scented.
		Primula reticulata is a species described in the books as having yellow flowers, but the parent plant of these seedlings has deep red flowers, but otherwise looks like a small version of Primula sikkimensis. Whether it is reticulata or not we don't know; what we do know is that it is distinct from other related plants, and looks most attractive when in flower.
		Primula cf. reticulata SDR7465 is believed to be this species, but it has not yet flowered for us. It is rather like a small version of Primula sikkimensis, with flowers that can be yellow, white or deep red.
		Primula sikkimensis apricot (ex red) are grown from seeds from two plants that had apricot-coloured flowers, and are believed to be hybrids of some normal yellow-flowered form with the bright red-flowered plants that we have grown for some years. As we believe that these original plants with red flowers are true Primula sikkimensis, not hybrids, these apricot-coloured plants are also forms of the species. They are strong, vigorous plants, soon forming a good clump.
		Primula aff. sikkimensis CC4947 is from a collection simply described as '2 species'! The ones that have grown look rather like Primula sikkimensis, so that is our best guess at present. If so, they have one (possibly two) whorls of soft yellow flowers. They came from the Rowaling Himal, in Nepal, at well over 4000 m.
		Primula sikkimensis CC5730 is from a collection that was identified as being Primula stuartii, although it was immediately obvious from the appearance of the seed that it wasn't in that section. The confusion is surprising, as Primula sikkimensis is easy to identify when in fruit, with the individual flower stems held parallel to the main stem.
		Primula sikkimensis CC6397 is a Nepalese collection of this lovely species, which has stems with usually one, occasionally two, whorls of soft, sulfur yellow flowers. This one was labelled as 'probably Primula stuartii', but again this species has proved to be elusive.
		Primula sikkimensis CC6771 is one of many Chris Chadwell collections of this species from Nepal. Its tall stems usually have one, occasionally two, whorls of soft, sulfur-yellow flowers.
		Primula sikkimensis ex Chola Shan is a collection from Chola Shan, and the description given by the collector was "15-25 cm, flowers in 'heads', wet places." The plants appear to be Primula sikkimensis, which has stems with usually one, occasionally two, whorls of soft, sulfur yellow flowers. However, that species is usually more like 40 cm tall, so this may be a dwarf alpine variety. Such forms sometimes remain short in cultivation, but others return to the normal stature.
		Primula sikkimensis claret hybrid come from seeds described as being a claret-coloured Primula sikkimensis hybrid. This sounds very like the second-generation plants that we raised from what appears to be a true Primula sikkimensis with bright red flowers, whose descendents have darker red flowers, and are thought to be hybrids with some other, as yet unknown, species.
		Primula sikkimensis ex red-flowered SDR3233 are grown from selected red-flowered plants, which appeared in a batch from a wild collection. We believe that these original plants are true Primula sikkimensis, not hybrids. The offspring have quite dark red flowers, darker than the seed parent, so it is possible that the red ones have hybridised with another species in the garden. Fascinating, whatever they are!
		Primula sikkimensis including red-flowered SDR3233 grew beside a lochan at 4200 m. The seed produced several plants with gorgeous red flowers. So far as we can tell these are not hybrids, looking just like the species, and setting fertile seed.
		Primula sikkimensis large-flowered SDR6817 comes from wet grassland, partly shaded by trees, at nearly 4000 m. This species has stems with usually one, very occasionally two, whorls of soft, sulfur yellow flowers. The parent plants in this case had larger flowers than normal, and if this is passed to the offspring, they will be fine plants for a damp place in the garden.
		Primula sikkimensis var. pseudosikkimensis is a form from high altitude. In the wild it is usually only about 20 cm high, but when brought lower such forms often become of normal size. However, this does appear to remain short in cultivation, and the flowers are usually large. This species has stems with usually one, occasionally two, whorls of soft, sulfur yellow flowers.
		Primula sikkimensis var. pseudosikkimensis SDR4528 is a form from high altitude, where it grew in a wet scree of acid rocks. In the wild it was just 20 cm high, but when brought lower such forms often become of normal size. However, this does appear to remain shorter in cultivation. This species has stems with usually one, occasionally two, whorls of soft, sulfur yellow flowers.
		Primula aff. sikkimensis var. pudibunda is a dwarf form with one or two whorls of small flowers, pale sulfur yellow.
		Primula sikkimensis var. pudibunda is a dwarf form with one or two whorls of small flowers, pale sulfur yellow.
		Primula sikkimensis red are descended from a red-flowered plant of Primula sikkimensis, but we believe that these are hybrids of the red-flowered plant with another, unknown Primula. They are smaller than typical sikkimensis, but have the same shape of leaf. The flowers are attractive dark red when they first open, and the colour then fades, so that the farina inside the flowers becomes dominant.
		Primula sikkimensis SDR3099 is from a wet meadow at 3800 m, where it was accompanied by the cream form of Stellera chamaejasme. This species has stems with usually one, occasionally two, whorls of soft, sulfur yellow flowers.
		Primula sikkimensis SDR4919 came from a wet hollow at high altitude, nearly 4700 m. This species has stems with usually one, occasionally two, whorls of soft, sulfur yellow flowers.
		Primula sikkimensis SDR5933 is a collection of this species with one, occasionally two, whorls of soft, sulfur yellow flowers, from 3800 m. Sometimes plants from high altitude remain somewhat shorter than usual in cultivation.
		Primula sikkimensis ex second generation red are the second generation grown from selected red-flowered plants, which appeared in a batch from a wild collection. We believe that these original plants are true Primula sikkimensis, not hybrids, but the offspring had quite dark red flowers, much darker than the seed parent, and it is likely that they are hybrids with some other primula in the garden. That generation was not really very exciting, but the next generation is a mixture of colours, from red through orange to yellow, with some unusual dusky shades.
		Primula waltonii has sharply toothed leaves, and bears umbels of pendent, dark lilac to reddish purple flowers with mealy edges.