About Primula elatior (L.) L.
Primula elatior, commonly called the oxlip, is a herbaceous or semi-evergreen perennial plant. It grows to 30 cm (12 inches) tall and 25 cm (10 inches) wide, forming a rosette of leaves that measure 5–15 cm long and 2–6 cm broad. In spring, it produces clusters of 10 to 30 light yellow flowers on a single 10–30 cm (4–12 inch) tall stem; each individual flower is 9–15 mm broad. The oxlip is closely related to and can be confused with the cowslip, Primula veris. While the two species have a similar overall appearance, P. veris has smaller, bell-shaped, bright yellow flowers with red dots inside the flower, and a corolla tube without folds. P. veris also has leaves that are more spade-shaped than the leaves of P. elatior. Primula elatior is cultivated as a garden plant. It can be used as bedding, grown from seed as a biennial, and discarded after it finishes flowering. It is also suitable for informal planting settings such as wildflower meadows. It grows best in a sheltered location with full sun and consistently moist soil. This species has been awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
