For many people, the arrival of spring causes a lot of positive emotions. And this is understandable. In the spring, buds appear on the trees, and the first flowers begin to grow.
The first spring flowers appear from around mid-March and bloom until mid-June, delighting us with their wonderful smells. Snowdrop, coltsfoot, medunica, adonis - these bulbous primroses, like little suns, appear first among other flowers.
A spring primrose flower (or forest primrose) is also one of them. Primrose blooms from late March to late June. It has many useful properties. The roots, stems and leaves of a plant can save people from various diseases. In ancient Greece, the primrose was called the medicinal flower.
A bit of history
According to one medieval legend, the primrose flower began to grow at the place where the keys to paradise fell, which were in the hands of the Apostle Peter and fell out of his hands when Peter was at a loss when he heard that the devils supposedly wanted to get into the Garden of Eden.
According to another legend, the primrose flowers were the keys of the spring goddess Freya. Freya had a stunningly beautiful necklace, and when Freya leaned in, where the necklace touched the ground, golden little keys fell out of him. At the place of the fall of these little keys, primroses began to grow.
general description
Spring primrose belongs to the family of primrose, which includes more than 1000 species of plants. Widespread throughout the globe, many members of the family primrose grow in the mountainous regions and in the Arctic. It feels great in areas with a temperate climate, cold zone and subtropical. Favorite places of the plant are plain meadows, shores of ponds, and even in the tundra you can find primrose. The species of this plant are very diverse.
Primroses begin to bloom in early spring, but the development and growth of inflorescences occurs in the winter and spring months. After the snow melts, the final stage of the formation of the shoot begins to grow, when it is finally formed, it begins to grow rapidly, and the plant itself goes into the flowering stage. The primrose flower can have different colors: blue, purple, yellow, blue, burgundy.
The height of the medicinal primrose is about 30 centimeters. Rhizome is short, has additional roots and numerous basal leaves. The length of the leaves is 15-19 centimeters. The leaves are ovoid and oblong with wavy edges. From below the leaf can be covered with grayish down. Inflorescences are located at the tops of flowering shoots, have an umbrella shape and the same length. The cup is 15 millimeters long, its shape is bell-shaped, the corollas are bright yellow or golden yellow. Five stamens and one pestle are in the cup. The fruit of the flower is an egg-shaped box. Pollen is carried by cross-pollination by insects, such as bumblebees.
Amazing flower features
Primrose leaves in large quantities contain vitamin C, so they can be used in the preparation of various salads. In the roots of the plant are substances saponin, essential oils and glycosides. Plant roots are often used in medicine, for example, an expectorant drink is prepared from the primrose root, which treats the upper respiratory tract. It is useful to use this infusion for bronchitis.
Flower propagation
Cowslip is very well propagated by parts of bushes and seeds. Seeds should be sown in the fall. Seedlings begin to bloom only in the second year. Reproduction by parts of the bush must be done once every three years, in early spring or autumn, in early September. If you do not divide the bushes for a long time, then the primroses will bloom worse and even freeze out, because after a while the rhizome gradually approaches the soil. The primrose flower grows well on fertile soil, in shaded places, near water bodies. Provide abundant watering to the plant.
Primrose application
The primrose is very popular as an ornamental plant. It can be planted in parks, gardens, flower beds and even at home. In flower pots on the balcony or in the room, the primrose will decorate your room and fill it with the atmosphere of spring and freshness.