Primula vulgaris Strong Beer - English Primrose

The Primula vulgaris 'Strong Beer' is a new and particularly vigorous primrose, with an astonishing double flowering of enchanting blue. Its flowers are turbinate, like small roses, with an amazing blue-violet colour touched with white veins. They bloom from February to May on beautiful cushions of dark green leaves. It is a very hardy perennial variety, which will live for several years in the garden. Plant it along the edge of a flower bed or pathway, in a balcony planter, always in partial shade and in soil that retains moisture.

The 'Strong Beer' Primula is a herbaceous perennial plant in the primrose family, derived from the Primula vulgaris found in our meadows and woodlands. This amazing variety was recently created in Germany. It stands out for its vigour and its very double flowers. It is a floriferous plant, which forms a beautiful clump of luxuriant foliage in a few months, reaching heights of 15 to 25 cm (6 to 10in) and widths of 25 to 30 cm (10 to 12in). They develop more or less persistent rosettes of spatulate, wavy and veined leaves, of a beautiful bright green. 'Strong Beer' produces well-filled, slightly fragrant flowers, usually solitary, carried by peduncles slightly taller than those of other varieties. This variety appreciates partially shaded exposures.

The stemless 'Strong Beer' primrose is a reliable and really easy to grow plant. It deserves to be included in all gardens and on all balconies. Original and floriferous, it accompanies spring and extends it until summer. In flower borders or in planters on a balcony, this plant goes well with its companions from the Belarina series, with forget-me-nots, daffodils, or with Siberian squills. Primroses are perfect in borders, low flower beds under deciduous trees, in rockeries and short grass meadows, among snowdrops and violets. The leaves and flowers are edible and can be eaten raw or cooked.

Benefits:

They are the same as those of the common primrose and the oxlip: the flowers have soothing and calming properties, they are used in expectorant preparations. The leaves fight against the formation of bruises, and the whole plant (especially the root) has analgesic, antispasmodic, diuretic, and expectorant properties.