spring!!

I have only smelled Primula veris, the wild cowslip. The fragrance was very earthy, spicey and comforting. I have often heard the scent of cowslips described as being "milky," and although that may sound strange it is not too far off the mark. When I used to have a large partch of them growing outdoors in Michigan, the fragrance was the essence of spring for me.

I am smelling one right now. Cute little yellow one I picked up at the grocery store. Hard to describe the light, innocent scent other than to agree it really *is* very spring-like! Puts me in mind of a toned-down daphne odora, maybe? I haven't smelled daphne in years, but it has that soft lemon-candy quality that I remember.

How can we describe the fragrance of Primroses????
It does not smell like any other flower at all....."light, innocent scent other than to agree it really *is* very spring-like!" is a beautiful description.

I have been searching for Primula vulgaris for years, but had to settle for the grocery store ones called Primula acaulis (?). The light yellow ones are very fragrant. They survive the winter in zone 5 if planted in a protected location. If happy, they do bloom from spring till hard frost. It is a wonderful scent to catch yards away downwind.

I strongly believe Narcissus 'Curlew' smells exacly like primroses, because whenever my 'Curlew' was in bloom, I would search for my primrose blossoms, but could not find any.

P.S. Auricula also smells like primroses, but they are of the same family.

Hi, I'm glad I came across this as I was wondering what they smelled like also. I heard Primroses can be grown in a pot on a windowsill. I also use grow lights, so light isn't an issue, but temps might be (70's)? Do they need cooler temps to bloom? I have no trouble getting pansies to bloom indoors despite that they like cooler temps. Should I attempt it with Primroses or would it be a problem getting them to bloom?

To me, it is not entirely true that common primroses do not smell like anything else; in fact, the fragrant yellow and orange vulgaris/acaulis and polyanthus types smell just like sweet olive (Osmanthus fragrans). I vividly remember the lovely way New Orleans air smelled of primrose when I visited a few winters ago.

There are many, many kinds of primrose, however, and most fragrant species have their own particular aroma. I will always cherish the scent of common primrose as a favorite, and fortunately they also grow very well here in zone 4.

I've never been able to keep primroses inside for long because of difficulty keeping them free from spider mite infestations and maintaining adequate (but not excessive) soil moisture levels. I suspect the plants would bloom under lights with temperatures in the 70s, but they may or may not have great longevity under those conditions. Perhaps with a periodic chilling in the refrigerator, their lives could be extended - it would have to be an experiment, but the plants aren't expensive so there's little to lose.

Stefan, thank you for sharing your experience with Primroses. I'm assuming the spider mites came from outside when you brought them in? I can grow them from seed and keep them indoors, hopefully that would prevent the mites. I've never seen any on my indoor plants (and hope I never do!). I also run a humidifier in the winter, which probably helps. Have you tried that? Neem Oil? I know they are difficult buggers to get rid of.

I've found that neem oil tends to exhibit phytotoxicity much more than ordinary all-seasons horticultural oil (an ultra-refined version of dormant oil that can be used year-round), so I've largely stopped using it. Primroses are middle-of-the-road when it comes to being sprayed - they clearly don't enjoy it, but they also don't keel over right away. Spider mites can be eliminated from a single plant by repeated sprayings of all-seasons horticultural oil to kill subsequent generations emerging from eggs. Spider mites can come from sources such as potting soil as well as other plants (they don't seem to proliferate naturally outdoors here except when they are reintroduced from indoor plants, but originally came in with plants grown in greenhouses or in soil - just as whiteflies did - and could never be completely eliminated since). Don't try washing them off with water unless it's a temporary fix before spraying with something else... it may reduce their numbers, but they will never be completely washed off, and they rapidly regenerate. I think they enjoy the challenge.

You can try using a sterile, soilless mix (and hope that the manufacturer isn't fibbing!), but the longevity of your primrose may well depend on the porosity of that mixture - it should be rather coarse and well-drained but moisture-retentive to help prevent otherwise inevitable overwatering and other problems, as primroses are highly sensitive to both root rot and drying out.

The humidifier will be a great asset, I'm certain. I hope you never see spider mites either, but in case you do, the steps above should at least help. I unfortunately have far too many valuable plants inside to throw them all away in order to get rid of the "bugs", even though that would be the only true solution. Anyway, good luck, and I hope the primroses do work out - either from seed or from store-bought plants, it's easily worth the trouble for such wonderful flowers.

How strange how different people describe the smell of primroses so differently. To me, they are the same as freesias. A very sweet and sharp little smell.

Stefan, (you have my fav name, btw! lol) thanks for the helpful tips. I use Pro-Mix and always sterilize it before using it. I agree with you and think that really helps to keep away a lot of potential problems (bugs, fungus, damping off, etc.). I hope you get to enjoy your Primroses indoors again without intrusion from mites. :) Now I just have to figure out what variety I want. Something multi-colored, can be grown from seed, and doesn't get too tall.

It is certainly one of the wonders of being human that we smell things differently based on our individual genetics! To me, freesias are a much soapier, "drier" fragrance than primroses, which have a slight citrus-like (this term is a great oversimplification, though) aroma to my nose.

Dana, thank you, I'm flattered even though I can't really claim any credit for my name : ) You might seek out some of the primrose hybrids that are known to bloom especially early from seed, such as the Danova strain. Another group of fragrant plants you may wish to look into that grow and bloom extremely well with supplemental lighting indoors (at least fluorescent light) are the recently introduced, fragrant Nemesias (I personally find the Blush variety most fragrant, with a wonderful imitation-vanilla smell). They perform even better under these lights than outdoors!

Stefan, thanks for recommending which Primrose variety to get. Swallowtail Garden Seeds has Danova, but they only have solid colors (like blue, yellow, etc.). I'd prefer a "mix" with different colors. Swallowtail does have a mix, but it's not Danova. So still searching...

I use fluorescent tubes and a compact fluorescent with a south window. Nemesias sounds interesting, thanks for the suggestion. Speaking of vanilla fragrance, I just ordered seeds for Heliotrope. Have you tried it? What do you think of the fragrance?

Ah, well, I'd probably use a web search to look up early blooming primrose hybrid strains and then see what can be found in a seed mixture... of course, the fragrant ones all tend to be yellow, orange, or apricot or a blend of those - other colors sometimes have the faintest hint of sweetness, but generally nothing like the yellow/orange range nor anywhere near as consistent.

Heliotrope is one of those things where when it's good, it's wonderful... but getting very fragrant heliotropes is hit or miss from seed (though you'll likely get at least one good one), and that's a big reason for the cutting-grown named varieties that are sometimes sold: consistency. Vanilla - I think that some white heliotropes are considered to smell particularly like vanilla, while the purple ones have that luscious fragrance of cherry-chocolate liqueur (and I'm not even sure there is such a thing... but it seems plausible). Now, personally, all of the named varieties I seem to encounter at nurseries, etc. are usually very disappointing in the scent department; maybe I'm visiting all the wrong nurseries and the clones were selected for floral effects alone. I'd pose it as a question to the fragrant plants forum to get a consensus on the most highly scented type - I wish I knew from personal experience! I suppose a web search will be helpful in this department as well.

Heliotropes definitely tend to have a very strong cherry pie smell, which wafts a fair distance. I found the dwarf marine heliotrope was very fragrant, but some of the white heliotropes have a stronger scent apparently. The other plant which I had last year which was one of the most fragrant was a cosmos atrosanguineus, which wafts a good few metres, thought somebody was baking cookies in another garden before I realised that it was the chocolate cosmos.

Stefan, thanks, I'll try to find a Primrose mix with those colors in it. I probably would've assumed purples or blues would be more fragrant, but I guess this isn't always the case.

The Heliotrope is a purple variety (more like lavender, not sure if it's Marine or not) and says it has a vanilla fragrance. If it turns out to have a cherry chocolate or cherry pie scent (yum), I can't say I would be disappointed as either would be fine with me. :)

RisingPower1, thanks for describing the fragrance and how strong or detectable it is. I was wondering about that. Are all cosmos fragrant or just some? I have seeds for a dwarf Ladybird mix, but haven't tried them yet. I assume these aren't fragrant.

I think as per color white flowers are always more fragrant but as per something like a primrose..... or any other flower for that matter...... the species is the most fragrant..... therefore the color that most (not hybrids) closely replicates the species would be the most highly fragrant...... like purple sweet peas and purple lilacs but yellow primroses..... pink and white roses etc.

Hi Flowersandthings, that's true now that I think of it, I have noticed it's usually white flowers that are fragrant, but I tend to overlook them unless they're in a seed mix with other colors. That might explain why I have so few fragrant plants. I was really surprised to discover Petunias were fragrant and didn't realize it until a dark purple bloomed. It was the only fragrant color out of 5 varieties I've grown with all different colors. Oddly enough, the white ones aren't fragrant at all. How about Zinnias and Pansies, anyone know which colors are more fragrant? Just curious, because none of the ones I grew were fragrant. It's possible I've been picking the "wrong" (non-fragrant) colors!

I'm not sure if zinnias and pansies are ever that fragrant but here is a list of fragrant plant and their species .... - i.e. more fragrant counterparts colors.......
petunias - purple
sweet peas - purple marron mahagony
heliotrope - white light purple
lilacs - lilac color
dianthus - usually pink
roses -usually reds pink and whites not yellows apricots or lavenders
lavender - lavender color - not white
primrose - yellow

hyacinth - purple

datura - white
jonquils narcissus -white with orange cups
honeysuckle - light yellow invasive
viola - i.e. viola odorata - purple
oriental liles - pinks
madonna lilies , regale lilies - white

This is very helpful, thank you!

There are, of course, many exceptions to the above rules! Definitely don't disregard anything based on color, and use your own nose as much as possible because it will surely disagree with even the most steadfast laws of botanical scent. Just a few remarkable exceptions from my perspective: the incomparable White Loveliness dianthus (of species superbus); too many roses in apricot, yellow, and lavender to even begin count (these are often very incredibly fragrant and of diverse scents!); and I've never noticed any correlation between color and lack of fragrance in oriental lily or hyacinth, which are almost always delightfully potent.

Some plants like hyacinth and oriental lily do show little difference in species and cultivated types...... however I think most can't disagree that species type colors are always more "potent" than downbred hybrids which are often bred for looks vigour etc. disease resistance etc. and not fragrance i.e. why light purple heliotropes are far more fragrant (this is the species type) than dark purple (marines) etc. and purple petunias as opposed to say yellow or red.

Ah, that's what I was wondering, just how strong these fragrances are. I want something strong enough that you can detect when you walk into a room (in my case it has to be something that I can grow indoors under lights or on a windowsill). I guess I made the right choice with heliotrope, it's the light purple one. I just got the seeds yesterday, but it'll be a while before I can confirm what the fragrance is like. ;)

Btw, I found the cosmos seeds on Thompson & Morgan's UK site. I can't find it on their US site. It's definitely the right one, says it has a chocolate fragrance.

Are you sure you don't mean tubers? I'm pretty sure the cosmos atrosanguineus doesn't seed, at all.

Oops, you're right, I just realized it says shipped as tubers. Well, at least you have another source where you are. I wouldn't be able to grow them here.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cosmos atrosanguineus

Sure you can, we get frosts here as well you know. Just when it comes around to winter, dig up the tuber and store it inside until next spring, then just pot it up again. I should have done the same with mine but forgot, they cost next to nothing anyway and are so easy to get hold of it's not an issue.

What I meant was I can't plant it outside here, it's not even an option as I'm in an apt in the city. It has to be something I can grow on a windowsill or under lights year-round (btw, no frost in here. lol). Both heliotrope and primrose seem to be good candidates and can be grown from seed, so I'll give these a try.

No need to plant it outside, it'll grow fine on a windowsill, might get a bit big but you can always cut it back. It doesn't mind being kept inside and it doesn't need much light generally. No harder to grow than heliotrope, if not more resilient.

Oh, ok, then I probably can grow it. I have a good amount of light in here. I have a south window along with 3 different kinds of grow lights (I'm using 2 at the moment), a ceiling fan, and a humidifier. Perfect environment for most plants and I rarely grow "typical" houseplants anyway. :) So how often does it bloom and how long does it stay in bloom? Is it about the same size as an Amaryllis, 2-3 feet tall? Does it need a cold period? Was the fragrance strong when you brought it indoors?

When it's in bloom, it's constantly in bloom for a long period I think from late spring to late summer. It's smaller than an amaryllis but it can get a bit leggy(might have needed a tiny bit more light than i gave it). The scent was very strong inside. Doesn't need a cold period.

Thanks so much for all the info on it, sounds great. I would have to free up some space before I add more plants as things are a little crowded now on my windowill where the taller plants are. It's hard to stop sometimes. lol I have 4 amaryllis and a monstera all in one area, plus several other plants, which are taking a lot of space. But I can probably give up at least one bulb. One amaryllis turned out to be wonderfully fragrant - of course that one I'm keeping! I just wished they'd stay in bloom longer and didn't have to wait a year for them to rebloom (or not). Fragrant cosmos sound like a better idea, so thank you for suggesting it!

Can't say I like amaryllis, I'd definitely have a chocolate cosmos over an amaryllis, the flowers are velvety soft, a lovely deep maroon colour and are fantastically fragrant and they also repeatedly bloom for ages.

I usually like big showy flowers, but that's hard to find on a fragrant plant (with the exception of bulbs). I haven't grown anything with tubers yet, but I have dwarf dahlias seeds with tubers. What size pot would one cosmos tuber fit into?

I finally planted the heliotrope. I guess it's going to take 8-10 weeks to experience the fragrance. But that's ok, I love watching them grow!

I'd say a 20cm pot, but I had mine in a 28cm pot and it grew fairly quickly to almost fill the pot. As big or as small as you like above 15cm, depending on how large you want it to grow.

Ok, so that's about 8-10 inch pot I believe. Thanks! You do realize you're enabling a plant addict, right? lol

Btw, I just confirmed from the grower that the heliotrope seeds I bought from her are dark purple 'marine' variety and she says it smells like vanilla. Hmmm, the photo showed light purple, so I assumed it wasn't marine. You guys think the marine one smells more like cherry pie? Which fragrance is better, cherry pie or vanilla? How many would you plant indoors? I planted 6 for now.

All heliotrope cultivars I have smelled were all vanilla-scented, just with varying degrees of intensity. Actually, it was more like vanilla mixed with talcum powder. I read somewhere that the plant was commonly called "cherry pie" not because of the fragrance, but rather because the color of some lavender cultivars was much like that of wild black cherry pie mixed with milk.

That's interesting, thanks. I'm still wondering if there's a variety of heliotrope that really does have a cherry pie fragrance or is it the same "vanilla" fragrance for all of them, but people are experiencing it differently?

It sure didn't smell like vanilla for the dwarf marine variety to me, the white ones on the other hand didn't smell like cherry at all, they smelt like vanilla. The only other time I've smelt heliotrope was at futuroscope in paris, where they had beds of it absolutely everywhere. Air was filled with the scent of cherry pie. I'd plant as many as you wanted indoors.

Sounds really nice. I'm so curious to see what it smells like. Either way, it'll be nice to have a new fragrance to enjoy. I think I'll stick with the 6 for now and see how they do.

Speaking of Heliotrope, I've had both the marine and white but was disappointed in the strength of the scent. Hope yours does better!

Any chance of you growing the knee-hi sweet peas?

Thanks (I assume you mean me), still waiting for them to germinate. So you didn't find the scent strong at all? Did you notice a difference in fragrance between the 2 heliotropes? Haven't tried sweet peas.

Hi my name is mommabara and I live in Beaverton, Ontario. Can anyone advise on how and when to split Cowslip Primrose (Primula Veris). I've had one growing in my garden for the last 3 years, it's beautiful but getting quite large. Ir has not died out in the middle of the plant so don't know if I should split it or not. Any ifo would be greatlly appreciated. Thanks.

Go to your local tea shoppe and order a London Fog drink (earl grey, milk, and vanilla)…they smell just like that.

They smell like Playdoe to me.