Unlike other primroses, self-pollinating primroses do not need to rely on insects for pollination  In many years insect pollinators are scarce, and in those years a typical non-self-pollinating primrose produces fewer seeds than does a typical self-pollinating primrose  In other years, seed production is approximately equal  Thus, self-pollinating primroses have the advantage of higher average seed production  Aside from seed production, these self-pollinating primroses are indistinguishable from non-self-pollinating primroses
Nevertheless, self-pollinating primrose plants remain rare among primroses
Self-pollinating primroses can be assisted by insects during pollination but do not require the assistance of insects to be pollinated.