British Spring Flowers

Common Flowers of the UK - Daffodil, English Primrose and Bluebell

Feb 10, 2009

The UK has a number of common spring flowers; amongst these flowers are daffodil, English primrose and bluebell, each having had a long association with British history.

As spring arrives in the UK, the countryside becomes a mass of early spring color; many of these flowers have long associations with history, including the daffodil, bluebell and English primrose. ' A host of golden daffodils' were described by the English poet William Wordsworth (1770 – 1850) in his poem I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud.

The English primrose is immortalized by Primrose Day, which was instituted on 19th April 1881, on the death of the British prime minister, Benjamin Disraeli; the prime minister's favorite flower was said to be the primrose and Queen Victoria sent a posy of primroses to Disraeli's funeral. The bluebell, originally known as hyacinthus, was traditionally associated with grief and mourning.

The Daffodil Species

Daffodil is the common British name for the botanical genus narcissus of the amaryllis plant family; daffodils are native to Europe, North Africa and Asia and mainly flower in the spring. Daffodils are traditionally golden-yellow in color but wild daffodils may be of varying colors; all of the Narcissus species have a central 'trumpet' surrounded by a ring of six floral leaves.

Daffodils are actually toxic as they contain an alkaloid poison, lycorine, in the bulb and the leaves of the plant; however, in traditional Japanese medicine, the daffodil root was used to treat wounds, in a mixture with wheat flour paste. Today, it is not the practice to use daffodil for medicinal purposes.

The Symbol of the Daffodil

The daffodil is known as narcissus in North America and has been referred to as jonquil in the past; it is listed as one of the many perfume ingredients in the perfumes of Marie Antoinette of France. The daffodil is now a symbol for many cancer charities including Marie Curie and the American Cancer Society who raise funds through daffodil days.

The English Primrose Species

The Primrose (Primula vulgaris) belongs to the primulaceae botanical family; it is a common sight in British hedgerows, woods and fields throughout April and May. English primroses are small flowers which are traditionally pale yellow in color; medicinally, the English primrose has been used to treat ailments such as rheumatism and gout.

An infusion of English primrose flowers was used for nervous disorders, as quoted by English herbalist John Gerard (1545 – 1612); it is noted by Maude Grieve (1858 – 1941) in A Modern Herbal that English primrose had similar medicinal properties as the European plant, the cowslip (Primula veris).

The Bluebell Species

The perennial English bluebell is found in British woods throughout the months of April and May; carpets of lavender-blue, bell shaped flowers create bluebell woods in the spring months. There are many species of bluebells found throughout Europe, in addition to the English bluebell, including the Scottish, Spanish and Italian bluebells. Bluebells are a protected species in the UK, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Bluebells were also originally known as wild hyacinth, not to be confused with fragrant hyacinth (hyacinthus orientalis), and were traditionally associated with the legend of Hyacinth of the Ancients, from where they gain their botanical name Hyacinthus nonscriptus; in Elizabethan times, the bluebell was called jacinth. The bluebell does not have medicinal uses in today's medicine; however, the bluebell bulb does have diuretic properties.

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The copyright of the article British Spring Flowers in Plant Species is owned by Sharon Falsetto. Permission to republish British Spring Flowers in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.