Showy primrose flowers are available from florists mid-winter and produce bright blooms for several weeks. Discover how to grow primroses as houseplants, find out how much water and sunlight it wants, plus how to get the most flowers.
Primroses are a beloved flower that bloom in early spring, bringing joy with their colorful clusters of flowers in shades of purple, yellow, pink, red and white. While primroses are technically perennials that thrive outdoors, you can also grow primroses indoors as potted plants to brighten up your home during the winter and early spring.
With the right care and conditions, potted primroses can add a cheerful pop of color and fragrance to any indoor space Here’s a complete guide to successfully growing primroses indoors as houseplants and getting them to bloom
Choosing the Right Primrose for Indoors
There are over 500 species of primroses but the common primrose (Primula vulgaris) is the most popular for indoor growing. Common primroses grow in a mounded shape and bloom profusely in a wide range of colors. Other good indoor choices include Polyanthus primroses (Primula x polyanthus) which bear dense umbels of flowers on short stems and English primroses (Primula acaulis) known for their large blooms.
When buying potted primroses, look for plants that are just about to bloom or already flowering. This way, you can enjoy weeks of blooms instead of having to wait for buds to form. Check for healthy foliage and avoid any plants that look leggy or wilted.
Providing the Right Growing Conditions
Primroses may look dainty, but they need very specific conditions to thrive as indoor houseplants. Here are the key factors to focus on:
Cool Temperatures
Primroses prefer cool temperatures between 50-70°F. High heat causes the blooms to fade and plants to wilt. Keep potted primroses in the coolest room of your home.
Bright Indirect Light
Place primroses near a north or east facing window where they’ll receive 4-6 hours of bright, filtered sunlight each day. Direct hot sunlight can scorch the flowers.
Humid Conditions
Primroses thrive in humid conditions around 60-70% humidity. Use a humidifier nearby or place pots on pebble trays to boost moisture in the air.
Rich, Loose Potting Mix
Use a commercial soilless potting mix made for flowering plants, or make your own mix of equal parts peat moss, perlite and vermiculite. This will provide excellent drainage.
Consistent Watering
Check soil daily and water potted primroses whenever the top inch becomes slightly dry. Soil should be kept consistently moist but not waterlogged.
Caring for Potted Primroses
With the right growing conditions in place, a few special care tips will help potted primroses thrive:
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Fertilize monthly with a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted by half. This will nourish all the blooms.
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Remove spent flowers by pinching them off to encourage more blooms.
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Watch for pests like aphids, spider mites and mealybugs and treat any infestations immediately.
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Rotate pots regularly so all sides receive ample light for even growth.
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Mist primrose leaves occasionally to boost humidity around the plants.
Getting Primroses to Rebloom
The key to getting potted primroses to rebloom for multiple seasons is proper watering, pinching back spent blooms, and providing cool temperatures. After flowering slows down significantly, you can move pots outdoors to see if cooler weather and dappled sunlight will trigger a second wave of blooms before it gets too hot. Just make sure to bring primroses back indoors before temperatures dip below freezing.
While getting primroses to rebloom indoors can be challenging, many people simply opt to discard them after blooming and purchase new plants again the following year. Primroses are inexpensive and easy to find at garden centers in late winter.
Troubleshooting Common Problems
If your potted primroses start looking less than their best, here are some common problems and how to fix them:
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Wilting – This is a sign of under or overwatering. Check soil moisture and water appropriately.
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Leggy growth – Primroses are stretching for more light. Move to a brighter location.
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Leaf spots/rot – Leaf fungal diseases caused by overwatering or high humidity. Improve airflow and water less.
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Failure to bloom – Primroses need cool temps to flower. Move to a cooler spot and provide brighter light.
Displaying Primroses Creatively Around Your Home
Once your primroses begin blooming abundantly, you can highlight them around your home in fun ways:
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Create a primrose-filled windowsill garden to stop passersby in their tracks.
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Display primroses down the center of your dining table or kitchen island.
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Use primroses as a temporary centerpiece on entryway tables, coffee tables and more.
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Cluster groups of primroses on side tables and dressers in your bedroom for a cheery wake-up call.
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Line a tray with primroses to create a stunning piece of wall art.
With their delicate flowers and sweet fragrance, primroses are perfect for elevating any indoor space. Follow this complete care guide, and you’ll be able to successfully grow primroses indoors as enchanting houseplants.
Get to Know Your Primrose
Known botanically as Primula, these colorful beauties have origins in England, Germany and China. A genus of about 400 species, these pretty perennials grow in rosettes of wrinkly leaves with flowers growing in the center.
Many species and hybrids offer lots of colors to choose from. Primroses have single or double flowers in shades of pink, purple, lavender, white, yellow, apricot, and red.
How big do primroses get? Theyre typically 8-12 inches (20-30 cm) tall, depending on the variety. Some species are offered in dwarf forms that only reach 6-inches (15 cm) high.
Primrose typically blooms for several weeks and is often tossed out after flowering because it is difficult to regrow. However, Primula x polyantha can be planted in a shaded spot outside in the garden for more seasons of blooms.
The biggest challenges of keeping this indoor beauty happy are its moisture and light requirements. Dry soil or direct sun will make primrose flowers wilt. Find a cool place for your plant. A bright sun porch is ideal.
How to Choose a Primrose Plant
Out of hundreds of primrose flowers species and hybrids, there are just a few that are available from florists mid-winter through spring and grown as houseplants.
English primrose (Primula x polyantha), shown here, produces a mound of bright, fragrant blooms in pink, purple, yellow, red, orange, white, and bicolors, and often have yellow centers, called eyes. Its colorful flowers grow above a rosette of mid-green oblong leaves.
Fairy primrose (P. malacoides) has star-shaped flowers on tall stems. Another tall variety is German primrose — also called poison primrose, its leaves can cause skin irritation — (P. obconica) with fragrant blooms in shades of white, lilac, red, and pink — each with a green eye.
Chinese primrose (P. sinensis) is a small plant with ruffled blooms in shades of pink and lilac.
Choose plants with buds that have just begun to open. Youll enjoy several weeks of beautiful blooms.
If your plant came from a florist shop with a plastic or foil wrap around it, take it off. Blocking the drainage holes in the pot may cause the roots to rot.
Want to cover a plain nursery pot? Slip it into a cachepot (a decorative container without drainage holes). I put pebbles in the bottom to keep the inner pot above the drainage water.
Set several plants together on a decorative tray. Somehow their bright contrasting colors tend to complement each other in a group.
Or display them with other winter-blooming houseplants, such as clivia, fragrant jasmine or cyclamen.
How to Grow a Primrose Plant Indoors or Out
FAQ
How long do primroses last in pots indoors?
How Long Do Primroses Last Indoors? With proper care, primrose can last 6–8 weeks indoors.Feb 13, 2025
Is fairy primrose a potted plant?
Used as a flowering winter potted plant in a bright location, it will provide weeks of fragrant blooms. Growing Media – Well drained Peat-Lite, or Pine Bark based mixes with a pH of 5.3 – 5.8 are acceptable. Pot Size and Spacing – 1 per 4 1/2″ pot can be finished 3/sq. ft., and 3 per 6 1/2″ pot can be grown 1.4/sq.
Can you start evening primrose indoors?
Start seeds of either type of evening primrose indoors in late winter, and expect germination in 10 days.
Where do primroses grow best?
Most primroses and primulas do best in partial shade, with moisture-retentive soil. Some are more suited to growing in bog gardens and other varieties will tolerate slightly drier conditions, as long as there’s plenty of humus incorporated into the soil when planting. Most don’t grow well in harsh, direct sunlight.