Primula sieboldii - Barnhaven strains

Barnhaven have been growing Primula sieboldii since the 1950’s and have developed their own garden worthy hardy strains of Japanese Primroses through years of selection and hand pollination. 

Primula sieboldii were some of Jared and Sylvia Sinclair's favourites ( Barnhaven owners in the UK) and most of the plants you see today are the result of the years of hard work they put into the breeding programme. They prided themselves in developing strains whose flowers had better petal texture and substance with shorter, stronger stems than the Japanese counterparts. They focused on obtaining vigorous plants that would perform as well in the garden as they would in pots (which is how they were usually grown). In their 1976 catalogue they listed 36 different plant hybrids for sale. For more information have a look at this wonderful extract of Barnhaven's 1976 catalogue. 

They used to be Willie Sinclair’s favourites and as he used to say ‘They are sheer magic. Carpet the earth with them.’

Please note: these plants are choice plants selected from our seed strains and there will be some variation in the plants you receive.

Flowering period: Mid-spring – early summer.

Height: 10 -15cm

Culture: Best grown in the shade or semi-shade. They are often cultivated in pots but will need dividing every couple of years. However, they are hardy garden plants and will appreciate an organic rich soil that does not get water logged in the winter. They can be grown beautifully under azaleas or rhododendron’s in the garden as they favour a slightly acidic soil. 

For more information on growing Japanese primroses, please consult our section on  Primula sieboldii