Plants, medicinal uses/ folklore -primrose by Ali Clarke

Primrose – Primula vulgaris

By Ali Clarke (excerpt)

Primrose is the symbol of safety and protection, in ancient times it was placed on the doorstep to encourage the fairy folk to bless the house and anyone living in it, and it was also said that if you ate the blooms of the primrose you would see a fairy.

Primrose - The symbol of safety and protection, in ancient times it was placed on the doorstep to encourage the fairy folk to bless the house and anyone living in it, and it was also said that if you ate the blooms of the primrose you would see a fairy. 
Both the cowslip and the primrose were thought to hold the keys to heaven and so were considered to be very sacred by the Celtic people.

It was the flower of Love and bringer of good luck, and was the symbol of the first day of spring and so was laid across thresholds to welcome ''May Day''. 
Also considered to be a bringer of great inspiration for poets, the flower of youth, birth, sweetness and tenderness. The flower was often used in medicine throughout the ages as it has similar properties to aspirin, it has always been known as a ''healing'' plant, and so was often used extensively 
in foods. Even today it is known for its healing properties and is used as a healing tea, while in the world of the flower essence, it is said to help heal those who have experienced the loss of a mother figure as a child.

During my research of this beautiful flower, I also found out that "Cowslips" are closely related to the Primrose, [both being from the Primula genus family], so much so in fact, that their symbolic meanings often cross over, depending which book you read. The original wild primrose has a smaller and paler coloured flower than the brightly coloured hybrids you see in garden centres today. 
If you want to find the wild primrose, ancient woodlands or very old churchyards are the place to find them. The Virgin Mary, was associated with the cowslip, hence the cowslip was also known as "Our Lady's Keys".