Primula Vivalpi selection

Hybrid perennial of the Primula × juliana group, resulting from the cross between Primula vulgaris, widespread in Western Europe, and Primula juliae, a species from the Eastern Caucasus. This selection bears the name of the Italian nursery Vivalpi, created by Marco Picca Piccon, a Piedmontese chef passionate about mountains, located at 800 meters altitude between the Lanzo and Canavese valleys, about forty kilometers from Turin. It is in this spirit of rigorous selection and authentic passion for mountain flora that this cultivar was chosen.

The plant forms a low and compact rosette, barely 8 to 10 cm in height when in bloom. The leaves are small, bright green, with a bullate surface and crenate edge, characteristics inherited from Primula juliae. The flowers, borne individually on short reddish peduncles, display a strong and bright magenta, with a vivid yellow eye bordered by an orange rim, a striking and immediately recognizable contrast.

In cultivation, the flowering extends from March to April, sometimes as early as late February in sheltered conditions. The plant prefers fresh, humus-rich, and well-drained soil, in partial shade or under filtered light. It tolerates winter cold well and is suitable for cultivation in rock gardens, shaded borders, or containers.