Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Primula yuparensis
We continue down the small primrose path with Primula yuparensis, which grows naturally in only one spot in the world, on Mt. Yubari in Japan. I am amazed this little primrose is not more widely known and grown; it looks much more at home in a woodland garden than the gaudy commercial primrose hybrids, which tend to look like you just popped them out of a pot. Yuparensis stays in bloom a long time, and its blooms die more gracefully than the vulgaris hybrids. I have it growing on a north-facing slope in a small, shady ravine, right next to some wood steps leading down to a bridge, where I can see this miniature plant blooming in the spring; the picture above was taken last April 15th. The only negative for yuparensis, is that if you get your nose right down into the flowers, it has a faint smell of urine (We do have cats, but they denied going anywhere near it). 
// posted by IBOY @ 8:47 AM 
