# Does Primrose Spread?
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Spreding
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Primulas can spread as seeds produced by the parent plants germinate nearby. Offsets -- small plants that grow up from the roots of the parent plant -- also help primrose to spread. Generally the basal rosette of the primrose looks a bit like a small lettuce. A thriving plant will eventually produce a second lettuce-like rosette next to the original. These offspring can be allowed to continue growing, eventually producing offsets of their own, or can be divided from the parent plant and replanted elsewhere.
Culture
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To create a spreading colony of primroses, provide the plants with a moist, partially shaded location with loamy soil. Mulch thoroughly to help retain soil moisture in the summer and keep down weeds. To speed the spreading of primroses, gardeners can take root cuttings when the plants are dormant, usually in late fall. Cut 2 to 4 inch sections of the plant's thickest roots, taking no more than one third of the total roots. Lay these horizontally atop a shallow container of potting mix and cover thinly. Place in a cold frame. New shoots should appear in spring..
Spreading Varieties
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Among the species most likely to spread into colonies are varieties such as the common primrose (Primula vulgaris), hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 8. It grows 3 to 6 inches tall and equally wide, with blooms appearing in spring. Drumstick primroses (Primula denticulata), hardy in USDA zones 2 through 8 reach about 18 inches tall, with rounded flowerheads of purple, white or pink blooms. Candelabra primroses (Primula beesiana) are even taller, growing up to 2 feet tall. The species is hardy in USDA zones 5 through 8 and features red flowers with yellow eye zones.
Uses
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Spreading primrose colonies can be used in woodland gardens, where they provide spring color and can be interplanted with naturalizing colonies of spring blooming bulbs or bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta), hardy in USDA zones 4 through 10. The plants are perfect for the banks of streams or other sloped sites, as long as they are not too hot and sunny. Primrose colonies can also be allowed to spread around the bases of spring and summer flowering shrubs.
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