Winter Cyclamen is a fantastic adaptable bulb that will form impressive colonies in time. The fabulous leaves are marked with silver and deep green designs. This form is known as the ‘Christmas Tree’ for its shape on the rounded leaves. From January to March small nodding purple/pink flowers form groups in concert with the foliage. A tonic for winter. To just 4″ tall in bloom and each corm gets bigger and bigger as years pass. Ants spread the seeds far and wide and new plants appear quite a distance a way. If you begin with a fancy leaved variety chances are most of your seedlings will mimic the parent. Part shade to shade in rich, well drained soil. Goes dormant and can tolerate completely dry conditions in summer. Excellent companion for winter Crocus, Hellebores, Snow drops.
Family: Primulaceae
Cyclamen hederifolium ‘Xera’s Silver’
Our seed strain of the fall blooming ivy leaved Cyclamen. After 15 years we’ve separated the best all silver leaf forms. Most have white or light pink flowers that appear from late summer through mid-autumn. In time the corms become enormous and they will seed with a large majority revealing silver or heavily silver marked leaves. Great plant for competition with dry tree roots or anywhere that is dust dry in summer. Leaves appear after blossoms and are showy all winter before going spring/summer dormant. Deer resistant. Excellently adapted to our climate. Mediterranean.
Xera Plants Introduction.
Dodecatheon hendersonii
Henderson’s shooting star or more appropriately foothill shooting star. Thats where you see them in meadows and glens usually underneath or near Oregon white oaks. Common composition of the flora seen with this plant are giant baby blue eyes Nemophila m. ‘atomaria’., Ranunculus occidentalis – western buttercup as well as Lithophragma- Prairie Stars. Rubbery near round leaves emerge in mid winter and persist as rosettes for months until real heat pushes them into sleep. The charming flowers rise up to 14″ on tall straight stems. The nodding flowers gives away its familial association with Cyclamen and Primrose and reflexed magenta purple petals shoot straight up. The interior of the flower is a spike decorated like a single cake with a red brick a brack design if you look closely. Great cut flower and where ever you throw the spent flowers they will still ripen and set seed and quickly a new patch will be created. Full sun to part shade in clay soils that dry in summer. No water once established. They quickly go dormant and disappear to escape summer heat and dry. Relatively easy native wildflower to grow. Deer resistant. Native from northern California north to SW British Columbia. Found throughout the western half of the state. This wildflower made extensive colonies around my childhood home near Eugene. It always bloomed around my birthday and over the years I built up huge colonies. It was so charming with Erythronium oreganum- Oregon fawn lily- they grew side by side. In our ‘backyard’ there were huge colonies of native Dodecatheon. I would pick bouquets of them from the backyard and when the flowers were spent I would chuck them off the front deck into the woods. Over time I realized they were still setting viable seed as we had a huge population in the front in a few years, . Blooms late March to early May. Oregon native plant.
Primula ‘Guinevere’
Good reliable perennial Primrose with dark maroon leaves and stems in great contrast to the simple lavender pink flowers. A nice yellow eye adorns the center of each flowers. Blooms February to early May. Low growing form that makes colonies over time in rich, moisture retentive soil with regular water. Must have regular summer water to survive the drought season and this one will without huge amounts of effort. Under shrubs in woodland glens. Easy perennial.
Primula sieboldii ‘Ice Princess’
My personal favorite primrose. This sieboldii selection blooms later than others but the flowers which are soft blue on the back of the flower and have a pure clean white face on the front. Heavily frilled petals are elegant on 8″ stems. Blooms May to early June in cooler years. No other cv of P. sieboldii comes as close to true blue. Forms a clump in time in rich, moisture retentive soil in part shade. Goes quickly summer dormant with true heat. Still water the roots of the dormant plant- they like that and will reward you with a greater show the following spring. Mix with Lamium maculatum ‘Aureum’ and Tiarella ‘Steam Punk’ for the same cultural conditions and a long spring to summer show. Great around the base of hardy Fuchsias as well. The leaves of the Primula disappear just as the Fuchsia is gaining steam. Excellent selection of this long lived spectacular Primula.
Primula sieboldii ‘Lacy Lady’
The most vividly colored flowers of the three cv of P. sieboldii. Hot pink on the reverse of the heavily frilled petals with an open front of white with distinctive hot pink striations shot right through. Blooms in-between the other two selections. First ‘Late Snow’ then ‘Lacy Lady’ and finally ‘Ice Princess’ Plant them all together and you get an extended show of one of the prettiest and most sophisticated species of Primula. Goes quickly summer dormant with heat. Continue to occasionally water through the dry summer. To 8″ high in bloom.
Primula sieboldii ‘Late Snow’
Excellent, selection of this easy and graceful perennial Primrose. Grass green round leaves form a rosette from the middle 8″ spikes support masses of flat, heavily frilled pure white flowers from April to late May. This is the most vigorous selection that we grow and will quickly increase in size in rich, moisture retentive soil in part shade. Blooms heavily for 6 weeks then goes quickly but quietly summer dormant. Though it has disappeared its important to at least occasionally water the plants roots through summer. To 1 1/2′ wide in several years. Apply a handful of all organic fertilizer in early spring. Excellent planted among Hosta. The Primula will emerge, bloom, and go to sleep just as the Hosta expand.
Primula vulgaris
This is the wild primrose of Europe that lives in shady hedgerows and moist shady environs. Its the soft yellow flower color for which the hue ‘Primrose’ got its name. Smaller colony forming perennial for part shade to shade in rich, moisture retentive soil. Bloom may begin as early as February and eventually peter out in May. Pale yellow single fragrant flowers with a brighter yellow eye are more than cheerful in our wet gray springs they are a bright tonic. It must have regular summer moisture in order to survive our summer drought and if it does it will come back in winter bigger and more bloomier than ever. Bait for slugs.
Primula vulgaris ‘Francesca’
Not only does this odd primrose have truly grass green flowers – each with a central yellow eye, this form of common primrose is also the longest blooming of the species as well as a much easier long lived perennial. Frilly, almost semi-double flowers seem to last for months- remaining bright and fresh through almost all of spring. Makes a great little unique cut flower and the flower color mixes so well in the spring garden. Pair with the blue flowers of Omphalodes verna or even the white form ‘Alba’ as they bloom at the same time for the same length of time. Regular water in rich, moisture retentive soil. Regular summer water is a requirement.
Primula vulgaris var. sidthorpii
Light lavender pink flowered form of common primrose that is incredibly floriferous and long blooming. Each pale flower has a bright yellow center for a cheery tribute to easter colors and spring. Low spreading perennial for part shade to shade in perpetually moist, rich soil. Makes substantial colonies with time. Absolutely must have regular water during our summer drought and heat. Avoid hot dry sunny aspects. Cool, moist and shady fits this pretty wildflower to a tea. To 4″ tall and 10″ wide in two years. Cold hardy.