Propagating Primula veris Cowslip in Spring
Propagation Methods Increasing Cowslips in Woodland Home Gardens
Mar 11, 2009
Primula veris (cowslip) is one of six flowering plants for meadow habitats reported in 'Meadow gardening' in The Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Gardening Third Edition edited by Christopher Brickell (Dorling Kindersley, 2007). Relatively compact, native cowslips produce bright yellow nectar-rich flowers from early spring which will attract the early out-and-about pollinators and beneficial insects. Primula veris or cowslip are suitable for planting in USDA Zones 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.
Propagation of Cowslip Primula veris
Cowslips are effective in reproducing and spreading across partially shaded areas in wildflower meadows, below deciduous trees and under large canopies of shrubs on the edge of woodland areas in backyard gardens. When the cowslip seeds have been dispersed onto an area with full sun, the seeds will germinate and grow well if they land onto well cultivated and/or mulched moisture-retentive soil.
Wildflower gardeners wishing to increase their plant stocks of native cowslips are encouraged to:
- Collect seed from the clusters of flowers of parent plants in late spring.
- Sprinkle the freshly collected cowslip seed onto a horticultural grit and seed compost mixture in a seed tray.
- Chill the seed tray and its contents for 10 to 14 days
- Remove and place the seed tray in a sheltered spot.
- Cowslip plant aftercare for the next 10 to 12 months is to ensure that the medium remained moist but not waterlogged.
- Cowslip seedlings as small rosettes of leaves should appear in early spring.
- Young cowslip plants, when large enough to transplant outdoors, can be set into the desired site in home garden, taking care not to overcrowd cowslips that have self-seeded from the previous year.
Wildlife Benefits of Growing Native Cowslip
Rosettes of native cowslip leaves emerge in the late winter months. By early spring the clusters of flowers raise up, unfold and nod (in a similar way to Galanthus nivalis Common Snowdrop flowering) and the cowslips' nectar-rich scent alerts early flying pollinators like bees. Caterpillars may be found around and underneath the cowslip rosette of leaves in springtime.
Naturalizing Cowslips in Lawns
Cowslips are among the native wild flowering plants that can be naturalized in lawns. In the Plant Directory of Wildlife Friendly Plants (Collins & Brown, 2004) Rosemary Creeser writes "Cowslips that are naturalized in lawns should be planted in an inconspicuous spot where the grass can be left uncut until early summer without looking untidy." Alternative angiosperms narcissus and crocus can produce springtime displays of foliage and flowers naturalized in a lawn, perhaps on a woodland edge.
Cowslip and British Meadow Gardening
The RHS Encyclopedia of Gardening showcases Leucanthemum vulgare (ox-eye daisy), Geranium pratense (meadow cranesbill), Primula veris (cowslip), Campanula glomerata (clustered bellflower), Galanthus nivalis 'Flore Pleno' (snowdrop) and Erythronium dens-canis (dog's-tooth violet) and advises on meadow gardening "A look at the local wild flora will indicate which species to grow, but never take plants or seeds from the wild. A huge range of wild flowers is now offered by specialist nurseries as plugs and young plants".
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