Soldanella

This is what we have offered previously as Soldanella species. It looks to be a match to the Bulgarian Soldanella rhodopaea and the seedlings come true so we are reasonably confident of the identification. Soldanella is a Primrose relative native to the high meadows in the mountains of Europe. This is one we received from Collector's Nursery with dark violet flowers - very choice! Evergreen and clumping, this takes the same conditions as Primroses.

Tiny-leafed hybrid of Soldanella carpatica and S. pusilla . This very small scale little creeper with tiny evergreen leaves surprises in spring with over-achieving light lavender fringed bells. Similar to 'Spring Symphony' but flowering a bit earlier. One of the easiest Soldanella to grow. This is one we picked up in the UK a few years back.

This is the Type A of the Soldanella clan which is related to Primroses. It spreads faster, has more flowers, is more vigorous and has more hair on it's petioles - what a show-off! But hey - great rounded evergreen foliage and the light purple fringed fringed flowers would not be out of place in Fairyland. Our friend June Sinclair has this growing in the moss and forest duff atop old second growth stumps and logs in her fabulous woodland garden on Hood Canal. We come home from visiting her with a bad case of stump envy.

A less commonly encountered species which calls the Rhodopi and Pirin Mts of Bulgaria home. This has lavender-blue flowers finely fringed in very narrow petals on a flower that is more widely open than related species. Small rounded evergreen leaves are a pleasure all year but it’s the flowers that makes your toes tingle in spring.

Superbly vigorous 2nd generation hybrid of S. carpatica x S. pusilla from the vaunted Edrom Nursery in Scotland and we may be the first to introduce this to North America. If you are into small ornament of ingenious construction, the maximization of minimalism, a totally improbable flower to foliage ratio - we have you so covered! Soldanella are alpen sophisticates that should be grown more in northern cool climates. This hybrid retains the vigor of the comparatively coarse S. pusilla and brings in superior flowers and foliage of S. carpatica. Evergreen tiny round leaves and 4" salmon pink flower stems with lavender-blue fringed bells in early spring is an impeccable combination. Loose gritty-humusy soil in dappled light or morning sun is great.

Soldanellas completely bewitch us wih their dual charms of excellent evergreen foliage and incredibly cute flowers. When these little guys flower, we just smile because this is such a little overachiever with its lavender fringed flowers in April. Reddish leaf petioles and leaf undersides are subtle allure.

A pretty little thing from the alpine world. The genus name comes from the Italian for 'Little Coins' which fairly represents the diminutive rosettes of perfectly circular evergreen foliage. For the less money-motivated the bright purple-pink flowers held a few inches above the flowers call to mind an egregious fringed lampshade from the lava lamp days. Closely related to primulas and happy with much the same treatment.

Least Alpine Snowbell.  Perhaps the daintiest Soldanella, we have this from three different sources as Soldanella minima 'Alba', S. austriaca 'Alba' and S. carpatica 'Alba' and can see no difference between the three and are putting them under the umbrella of Soldanella minima 'Alba' based on the "minima" size of the leaves and plant. How's that for technical taxonomy? Allied to Primula and native to the eastern Alps where it grows in low turf, rock outcrops and crevices. This is the less-common white form and while smaller by half or more than the more familiar species, it is just as tough as the full-sized versions, despite being an ideal choice for the fairy garden.  Light shade to morning sun.

This Greek representative of the delightful alpine primula relative hails from the eponymous Pindus mountains. Characteristic glossy evergreen 'little coin foliage' underlies the distinctive fringed cone flowers. Those flowers take on a lovely dusky purple that pronounce it's maturity and propensity for depth and pretension over its more common, populist cousins, a real kill joy at family gatherings, but an understated joy in the rock garden.

One of the best little plants you will ever have. An evergreen member of the Primrose family from high grassy meadows in Europe, this has multiple stems to 10" bearing sweet fringed lavender bells. This forms a nice clump in time and has no discernible faults and remains attractive even out of flower. A key component to the elfin garden.