Primula frondosa, the leafy primrose (Bulgarian: 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 800 to 2,200 m.[2] Its populations are situated within the boundaries of the Central Balkan National Park and the nature reserves Sokolna, Dzhendema and Stara Reka.[2]

Primula frondosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Ericales
Family:	Primulaceae
Genus:	Primula
Species:	P. frondosa
Binomial name
Primula frondosa Janka[1]

Growing to 27 cm (11 in) tall by 10 cm (3.9 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.[2]

In cultivation in the United Kingdom, P. frondosa has been given the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.[3][4] It grows well in acidic soils, in similar conditions to those of its cool alpine home.[5]

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