THE JULIAN HYBRIDS

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The Julian hybrids are small, early-blooming forms derived from hybrids between the larger Vernales species and the tiny Primula juliae of the Caucasus. These plants are among the hardiest and most adaptable of the garden primroses in the US, and deserve to be much better known and widely used.

The Julians have either an "acaulis" flowering habit, with the flowers arising on individual stalks from the crown as in P. vulgaris, or a "stalked" habit with a main central flower stalk from the top of which the individual flowers radiate. The acaulis type are derived from hybrids between P vulgaris and P. juliae. Since the purple flower color of P. juliae is genetically dominant to the pale yellow of P. vulgaris, these hybrids tend to have flowers in shades of pink and purple. The most satisfactory cultivars of this type in our gardens have been 'Lois Lutz' (below top left), 'Gina,' 'Jay Jay,' 'Allure,' 'Springtime' (below top right), 'Wanda,' 'Guinevere,' and 'Snow White.' The stalked types are derived orignally from crosses between P. elatior and P. juliae. In this case the flower color of P. elatior tends to be dominant and flower color is yellow to pink. 'Spring Sunshine' and 'Kinlough Beauty' have been the most enduring of this type for us. The larger garden hybrid P. polyantha has been crossed into these primary hybrid types to give other forms, and bedding and pots types derived from P. vulgaris have been mixed in to give new forms sold as "Wanda hybrids" that have not been hardy for us.

'Spring Sunshine' (left) is a new introduction from The Primrose Path. This has the general habit of Primula elatior, but the plants are smaller and the flowers are larger and wider in proportion to give a showier display. This is available only from The Primrose Path at this time.

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