Primrose
Primula vulgaris
Full description
The Primrose is an extremely popular flower which heralds the spring and the ending of winter. The Primrose grows to 15cm and will produce up to 20, yellow 5 petaled flowers from February up until May. Mainly a plant that enjoys woodland and woodland edge, the Primrose can also be found in damp semi-shaded or open grasslands. Typically the wetter the climate the less shade the plant requires. The Primrose is found in soils with a range of pH’s but not in very acidic or very alkali sites. The plant is rarely found in direct sunlight and is more common under dappled shade or on north facing slopes.
Primroses are pollinated at night by a wide variety of moths which are attracted by its petal colours. The plant is a larval host plant for the Duke of Burgundy butterfly as well as a nectar source for Brimstone and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies.