Wild primrose Primula vulgaris
Table of Contents
At the beginning of the year look out for the buttery yellow flowers of the wild primrose in woodland and hedgerows, as they’re one of the first wildflowers to bloom, providing a much needed source of food for early pollinators.
Plant family: Primulaceae
Aliases: Common primrose, English primrose, butter rose, Easter rose
Flowering period: February – May
Flower colour: Pale yellow
Preferred soil type: Heavy, moist
Habitat: Open woodland, hedgerows, grassland
Status: Common
General information
A low growing, woodland perennial plant that was once very common throughout the UK, it’s now less common due to numerous factors including climate change and habitat loss due to poor woodland management. This native wildflower prefers shaded places, such as woodland, hedge rows and ditch banks.
They are sometimes confused with oxlips and cowslips, both flowering at the same time as the wild primrose. Although the leaves are all similar on all three, the flowers of oxlip and cowslip are borne in tighter clusters on somewhat longer stems than primroses.
It’s one of the first plants to flower during the year, occasionally the pretty, pale yellow flowers can be seen as early as January. Primroses grow to a height of 20 – 25cm and although they will grow on most soil types, they prefer fertile, moist sites, they don’t like prolonged, dry spells of weather.
Identification
Flowers: The solitary, scented flowers are typically a very pale yellow colour with a deeper yellow center, although the colour can differ somewhat, on rare occasions some being almost white, while others have a pink tinge to them.
They are borne on short, hairy stems, measuring between 2 – 4 cm in diameter, each flower consists of 5 notched petals.
Leaves: The heavily wrinkled, spoon-shaped leaves form as a basal rosette with the leaves varying in size between 10 – 25cm long and 2 – 6 cm wide and are hairy on the underside.
Value for wildlife
Wild primroses provide an early source of nectar for bees when there is little else around. It’s also a food source for the larva of the Duke of Burgundy butterfly.
Uses for wild primrose
The flowers and leaves of wild primrose are edible, with the flowers being used raw in vegetable or fruit scalds, alternatively they can be cooked and consumed as a vegetable.
Wild primrose images
(Click to enlarge)
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