We envision a resilient world dependent on the thoughtful cultivation of plants

The Auricula: History, Cultivation and Varieties

Articles: The Auricula: History, Cultivation and Varieties

The auricula (Primula auricula) will never match the drama or economic impact of the tulip, as featured in Anna Pavord’s definitive The Tulip (Bloomsbury, 1999). Yet, the five-hundred year story of the auricula is both quaint and fascinating, filled with passion and dedication, trial and tribulation, experiment and revelation.

First brought into the garden in the late 1400s, the beauty of the flowers attracted the attention of Flemish weavers who brought the plants with them to England. Dedicated growers bred the plants to expand both colors and patterns, as well as the shape and number of petals; the plants quickly became popular features of highly competitive flower shows.

Auriculas have never gained popularity on the West Coast to match that seen in England, yet they are surprisingly adaptable to gardens in the cooler, moister regions from Northern California to British Columbia; in my own garden in San Francisco, I found them to be remarkably resistant to snails and slugs. The photographs, alone, in this well-written book may draw new gardeners to their beauty.

Richard G Turner Jr, editor

Share:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

Responses

Social Media

Garden Futurist Podcast

Most Popular

Videos

Topics

Related Posts

Pacific Plant People: Carol Bornstein

Spring 2022 Public gardens play a key role in demonstrating naturalistic planting design, selecting native and adapted plants for habitat, and testing techniques for reducing

Powered By MemberPress WooCommerce Plus Integration

Your free newsletter starts here!

Don’t want to see this pop-up? Members, log-in here.

Why do we ask for your zip code?

We do our best to make our educational content relevant for where you garden.

Why do we ask for your zip code?

We do our best to make our educational content relevant for where you garden.

The information you provide to Pacific Horticulture is NEVER sold, shared, or rented to others.

Pacific Horticulture generally sends only two newsletters per Month.