Primula frondosa

{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}

{{speciesbox

| image = Primula frondosa 1.jpg

|status = DD

|status_system = IUCN3.1

|status_ref = {{Cite iucn |title=Primula frondosa |errata=2023 |author=Bilz, M. |page= e.T165113A245230537 |year= 2011 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-1.RLTS.T165113A245230537.en |access-date=20 July 2024}}

| taxon = Primula frondosa

| authority = Janka{{cite web | url = http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2565530

| title = Primula frondosa Janka | publisher= The Plant List | accessdate = 23 May 2018}}

|}}

Primula frondosa, the leafy primrose ({{langx|bg|Старопланинска иглика}}), is a species of flowering plant in the family Primulaceae, native to the Balkans. It inhabits shady spots in a small region of the central Balkan Mountains range in Bulgaria, where it is found at altitudes from {{cvt|800|to|2200|m|-1}}.{{cite web |url=http://e-ecodb.bas.bg/rdb/bg/vol1/Prifrond.html|title=Primula frondosa|website=Red Book of Bulgaria, Volume I|accessdate=20 January 2019}} Its populations are situated within the boundaries of the Central Balkan National Park and the nature reserves Sokolna, Dzhendema and Stara Reka.

Growing to {{cvt|27|cm|in}} tall by {{cvt|10|cm|in}} broad, it is a short-lived herbaceous perennial with a rosette of leaves surrounding the central stem. The leaves are covered in a mealy, flour-like substance (farinose). In spring, the plant bears loose umbels of pink flowers with a prominent yellow eye.

In cultivation in the United Kingdom, P. frondosa has been given the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/13760/i-Primula-frondosa-i-(Al)/Details | title = RHS Plantfinder - Primula frondosa | accessdate = 27 May 2018}}{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf | title = AGM Plants - Ornamental | date = July 2017 | page = 81 | publisher = Royal Horticultural Society | accessdate = 27 May 2018}} It grows well in acidic soils, in similar conditions to those of its cool alpine home.{{cite web | url = http://encyclopaedia.alpinegardensociety.net/plants/Primula/frondosa | title = Primula frondosa | publisher = Alpine Garden Society | accessdate = 23 May 2018}}