Cowslip (Primula veris)

This pretty spring flower's common name comes from the Old English for cow dung! Another older name for Cowslip was St Peter's Keys - it was said to represent the keys to the Gates of Heaven and as such took pride of place in many Easter festivities. Cowslip is, typically, a plant of short grassland, so would have been associated with meadows grazed by livestock. Unlike many meadow flowers, this species flowers in the spring, bringing a welcome splash of yellow plus nectar and pollen for long-tongued bees and the odd spring butterfly. Cowslips thrive in well drained but moist soils, and need an open sunny site - in contrast with relations the Primrose, Primula vulgaris, and the rarer Oxlip, Primula elatior. Cowslip seed needs a period of cold before germinating, so should be sown in autumn.

We supply Cowslips in our selected wildflower trays or seed mixes but we also sell it on its own here as seed, 55cc plug plants, or in more generous half litre pots.

Supplier : British Wildflower Plants / Emorsgate
Our Cowslip plants and seeds have guaranteed UK provenance and are supplied by signatories to the Flora Locale code of practice.

We donate half of our profit on sales of Cowslips to Buglife

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