Primula halleri

Primula halleri

A very attractive plant with leaves heavily covered with farina. It dies back to a fat resting bud in winter. Belonging to the farinosae group, it is among the largest of the 'bird's-eye' primroses, with stems reaching 8" and a nearly globular head of violet flowers with yellow eyes. The leaves are covered in white powder (farina) giving them a silver sheen. This species is native to the mountains of southern Europe through to the Caucasus, growing in stony, alpine meadows.