More than 100 Primula sinensis plants were found blossoming amid a light snow that covered Chengdu and surrounding areas on Jan. 27.

Earlier in the month, local plant enthusiast Sun Hai photographed the plant blossoming among the mountains in Dayi county near Chengdu on Jan. 15, which could be the earliest blooming flowers in the Chengdu area for the year.

The Primula sinensis plants growing at the same position didn’t come into florescence until late February last year, said Sun. The early blossom this year could be attributable to the sunny weather and relatively high temperatures in the previous period.

Growing in a rather dry environment among limestone mountainous areas between 800 and 1,200 meters above sea level, the early blooming Primula sinensis plants have brighter, mostly purplish petals in comparison to other varieties, according to Sun’s observation over the years.

Primula sinensis, also known as Chinese primrose, are resilient to survive the challenging environments in the wild, found growing in in umbral, humid rock cracks on limestone mountains in Sha’anxi, Hubei, Sichuan and Guizhou provinces. Their strong rootstocks help secure a firm footing to absorb sufficient nutrients and withstand severe weathers.

Having enjoyed a long history of cultivation in China, the species was introduced to the UK in 1821, and now planted worldwide for horticultural purposes.

In Sichuan, it is deemed as the harbinger of a great year ahead to blossom around the Chinese New Year period, braving the coldness and possible snowy weathers.