This delightful Primrose is probably a hybrid between the native species of Great Britain, including Primula veris and P. vulgaris, and has been cultivated since before the seventeenth century. It is one of the toughest Primroses for American gardens, withstanding the heat and humidity of our summers better than most English species. Like its cousins, the “Old Sulphur Yellow” most likely grew in eastern American gardens since Colonial times. Thomas Jefferson mentions Primrose in his 1771 notes on “Hardy perennial flowers” for the Monticello landscape.

This Early spring-blooming perennial grows clump-forming plants to 12” wide that produce Butter-yellow flowers on 2”-6” stems. It prefers cool, shaded sites with even moisture and soil with plenty of organic matter and mulch.