One of the earliest flowers of the year, shortly after snowdrops and crocuses, primrose is a signifier of the arrival of spring. To me, it is like the same kind of alarm clock that the hawthorn is for summer – not as loud but like waking wearily from a deep sleep. Its pretty, small yellow flowers remind us that the big wheel keeps on turning and we have made it to another new year.
In old Ireland, primroses were used to decorate the outside of a home, stables and sheds as protection from the fairy folk. They were either tied onto string or left in bunches outside doors and on window ledges. Primroses were believed to be more effective over the first few days before and after Bealtaine, 1 May, when the veil between the worlds was thin.
Primrose
Primula vulgaris | Sabhaircín
Planting / Foraging
Primroses grow abundantly in the wild, particularly in damp, moist spots like woodland floors and at the bottom of stone walls, but they can also grow in hedges and pasture. It is easy to collect them in the wild.
Primroses are also very easy to grow from seed. The pretty flowers make a lovely addition to the garden, and it is a joy to see them keep coming back year after year.
Uses
In Ireland, primrose was used as a salve, especially for burns. This is also reflected in writing as far back as the seventeenth century when the botanist Culpeper described its uses in his Complete Herbal (1652): ‘of the leaves of primrose is made as fine a salve to heal wounds as any I know’.
It is also known as a pain reliever for toothache. Rub the toothache with a primrose leaf for two minutes to find some relief.