Primula eliator Veristar Late Marmelade - Oxlip

The Primula eliator F1 'Veristar Late Marmelade' is a hardy primrose that will be appreciated for its performance in the garden and its spring flowering, which is both abundant and colourful. The plant produces flower stems that bear numerous small flowers in a deep orange colour, perfectly highlighted by dark green foliage. Beautiful in borders, it is also an ideal perennial to biennial plant for ornamental containers. It should be planted in a sunny but not scorching location, in soil enriched with compost, fertile and moist.

The Primula eliator, also known as the Oxlip or Woodland Primrose, is a herbaceous perennial plant that belongs to Europe's native flora and is most commonly found in the semi-shade of light woodlands or on the edge of forests. When abundant, this species, sometimes called the cuckoo flower, is an indicator of ancient forests, relatively undisturbed by human activity.

This plant has produced numerous short-lived perennial hybrids through crossbreeding with the common primrose (Primula vulgaris), often grown as biennial plants. This 'Veristar Late Marmelade' primrose blooms in March-April, depending on the climate, for approximately 4 weeks. On each plant, several flower stems reach a height of 25 cm (10in) and bear several single flowers, slightly fragrant, composed of rounded petals that darken from a deep orange to a pale shade over time, with a discreet yellow centre. Their warm colour is well complemented by evergreen rosettes of large, heavily crinkled dark green leaves, which are ornamental even when not in bloom.

Eliator primroses are less well-known than stemless primroses, but they have their own advantages: they are taller, hardier, more perennial, and their flowering is also more spectacular. They are excellent companions for shade-loving perennials and plants that thrive in cool, light woodlands, such as heucheras, Brunnera, forget-me-nots, horned violets, and hostas. They can also be used to decorate terraces, windows, or balconies, when planted in containers that will brighten up spring scenes. They also look great in a simple bouquet, mixed with forget-me-nots or early tulips.