Cowslip  (Primula veris)

Learn about the scientific name of this species and how it fits into the tree of life at Nature Navigator.

Biology

This perennial species flowers from April to June (5). The flowers have been put to various uses throughout the years; they were thought to be 'good for the nerves and brain'. They were also used to make cowslip wine (which is still produced in the Midlands), a conserve, and an ointment for the skin (6). In Lambley, a village in Nottinghamshire, the first Sunday in May is deemed 'Cowslip Sunday'; in the past, cowslips were sold to visitors from Nottingham, although a lack of truly wild specimens today means that it is garden grown plants that are brought into the church to decorate the altar (4).

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