The Drumstick Primrose The denticulatas are among the first primroses to blossom in my garden in the spring. When the snow melts they are visible as a large bud on the surface of the soil (or mud!). In the next few weeks they emerge and develop into a globe of florets on a short flowerstalk. Leaves appear and the stalk elongates, gradually reaching perhaps a foot in height before the flower goes by. Denticulatas may be white, lavender, reddish-purple, and dark purple. In the summer the strap-like leaves get large and the plant becomes a large tangle of foliage. Because they are not much to look at except when in blossom, it is best to place Denticulatas where they have afternoon shade, plenty of moisture, and rich well-drained soil, but also are not front and center all summer.

Snow melts from a lavender denticulata

A bed of Denticulatas at Mountain Brook

Candelabra Primroses These larger, later flowering primroses bear spires of flowers that resemble candelabras. We presently have Primula japonica, P. florindae with its fragrant, nodding, pale yellow bells, and the Rainbow Candelabras, shown here in a bed at Mountain Brook.

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