Primula marginata 'Elisabeth Fry'

Perennial of the Primulaceae family, this cultivar is a hybrid selected from Primula marginata, a species native to the Franco-Italian Maritime Alps, where the wild form inhabits limestone cliffs and rock crevices at altitudes of approximately 1,000 to 2,500 meters.

'Elizabeth Fry' is distinguished by particularly ample and structured foliage, with broad, spatulate leaves with distinctly crenate and wavy margins. The white farinose, characteristic of the species, is present here irregularly, concentrated on the margins and in patches on the medium to dark green blade, giving it a slightly speckled appearance outside of flowering. The woody stipe develops gradually with age, a typical characteristic of the group.

The flowers are a fairly bright lilac mauve, with a white farinose throat, borne in short umbels above the foliage. In its natural habitat, the species blooms from April to June depending on altitude; in cultivation, this cultivar generally blooms in March-April.

It requires a very well-drained, slightly calcareous soil, partial shade exposure, and protection from stagnant moisture in winter. Cultivation in pots or troughs, with a mineral mulch at the collar, suits it perfectly.