Drumstick primrose

Questions about drumstick primrose

Does drumstick primrose need sun or shade?

Drumstick primrose grows in part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun) and part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning).

It wants soil that stays evenly moist, rich in organic matter, and plenty of water.

What zones does drumstick primrose grow in?

USDA zones 3 to 8. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).

Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does drumstick primrose flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers early April to early May. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should drumstick primrose be planted?

10 in (25 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is about its full width, so each plant keeps its own outline.

It grows 12 in (30 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many drumstick primrose plants do I need?

At 10 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 17 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 13 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 55 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.

In the bed above, the planner used eight in two groups.

Is drumstick primrose poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes: mild toxicity to dogs, cats and horses. Can cause mild vomiting in pets if eaten.

Is there a pet-safe plant like drumstick primrose?

These come closest to doing what drumstick primrose does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

• Woodland phlox: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same colour; flowers late April to late May.
• Creeping Jacob's ladder: the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers late April to late May, blue, not lavender.
• Shooting star: the same job in a bed; 4 in taller, flowers early May to late May.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

What flowers after drumstick primrose?

Drumstick primrose is over by early May. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Lily of the valley: from early May to late May, 8 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Sweet woodruff: from early May to early June, 8 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Bugleweed: from early May to late May, 6 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.

What does drumstick primrose look like in winter?

Drumstick primrose dies down to the ground and there is nothing to see until spring. The old stems can be cut in autumn, or left until spring as shelter for overwintering insects.