At one time it was rumoured that this favourite countryside plant was disappearing from Britain but it appears in tens of thousands on the banks and verges of the A55 in North Wales for instance. This is a fairly new road so perhaps they were sown as wild flowers. Whether they're natural or not they've certainly spread even in these last few decades.

In older habitats like this one in the Derbyshire White Peak (limestone country) P. veris flowers at exactly the same time as Orchis mascula (Early Purple Orchid). Early Purple Orchid is behind the cowslips together with white A. nemorosa in the RHS photo and they cover the hillsides in certain place at the beginning of May. There are few shows of wild flowers en-masse which I know which can compare to the thousands of these delicate yellow, purple and white flowers growing together in Spring. It truly is one of the wonders of the natural world.

Primula veris is found throughout England, most of Wales, south eastern Scotland and much of Ireland but the high ground in much of Scotland is not a suitable habitat for this base soil loving plant.

Primula veris Cowslip Cressbrookdale, Derbyshire 10th May 2006 Previous   Next	Primula veris Cowslip Cressbrookdale, Derbyshire 13th May 2004 Previous   Next
Primula veris Cowslip	Primula veris and Orchid mascula Cowslip and early Purple Orchids

LHS: Cressbrookdale, Derbyshire 24th April 2011 RHS Cressbrookdale 13th May 2004

Added on 8th November 2004, amended 1st February 2005, updated 24th July 2011