Grow Wild to Know Wild
Primrose (Primula vulgaris)

Flowers: March to May
Prefered site: shade

©Joe Sutton

Description: wrinkled, spoon-shaped leaves form a rosette at the plant's base; from this grow long, downy stems bearing single, pale yellow flowers with five notched lobes (20-30mm across).

UK distribution: widespread throughout the UK .

Habitats in the wild: a plant of woodland clearings, hedgebanks, waysides and open grassland in damp clayey soils.

Conservation status and threats: Primrose is a native plant in Britain, and its distribution remains stable. Its decline locally in East Anglia following a series of hot, dry summers from 1970 onwards, hints at a possible threat posed by climate change.

Reasons for losses in the wild : loss of the habitat features in which it occurs. Abandonment of woodlands and inappropriate management of waysides.

Folklore/medicinal uses : the Primrose is the prima rosa, first flower of the year. It is a well-known symbol of spring and especially of Easter. For generations, bunches have been picked as presents for parents and to decorate churches. Bunches were tied up with wool and attached to a twig, so that the flowers were not crushed. Primrose Day is the 19th April, when primrose flowers are placed on Disraeli's statue in front of Westminster Abbey. They were the politician's favourite flower, and Queen Victoria regularly sent bunches to him. On a more sombre note, Victorians used to plant Primroses on the graves of small children (Flora Britannica by Richard Mabey).

Primroses have a very long history of medicinal use and have been particularly employed in treating conditions involving spasms, cramps, paralysis and rheumatic pains. The plant contains salicylates which are the main ingredient of aspirin, and an infusion of the roots is a good remedy against nervous headaches. An ointment can be made from the plant and used for treating skin wounds (Plants for a future).

Position in garden : the Primrose makes an excellent garden plant for a variety of garden situations, including the wild garden, orchards, hedge bottoms, under trees and in the front of the herbaceous border. They appreciate light shading during the hottest months of the summer, which can be provided as taller herbaceous plants grow in early summer. Primroses benefit from planting in a fertile, well-dug soil, and from frequent division.

How to plant and when: plant bare rooted or potted Primrose plants in autumn or spring (immediately after flowering) into well-dug, moist but free-draining soil. It is essential to keep young plants watered during the hottest months.

Propagation: Primroses are easy to propagate from seed or by division. Seeds lose their viability if stored badly, so are best sown in pots as soon as they ripen, during the early summer. They should be sown on the surface of a good seed compost and not covered with compost. The pot should be placed in a semi-shaded spot and should not be allowed to dry out: germination will take place in the autumn or following spring. Alternatively, plants can be divided, removing an excess of woody rhizome, and shortening long leaves by half: plant as for mature plants, detailed above.

Varieties available: two varieties with white flowers are available - var alba and subsp. sibthorpii - see the RHS Plant Finder for sources.

return to top >>