Week 28: Primrose (‘Primula vulgaris’)

The primrose was @SpeciesofUK from 7^th to 13^th July, 2013.

The familiar wild, pale yellow primrose is one of the early signs of spring. Its appearance coincides with the first daffodils. They appear together in damp grass or light woodland.[1]

Primrose Flowers
[Source: Flickr Creative Commons © wwarby]

The name "primrose" is derived from "prima rosa" (first flower) because it blooms so early[2]

Week 7: Common snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis)

The snowdrop was @SpeciesofUK from 13th to 19th January 2013.

Common Snowdrops, Galanthus nivalis, are the most widespread of the 19 species in the genus Galanthus, all of which are known as “snowdrops.”

Snowdrop, Galanthus nivalis
[Source: Caroig]

Snowdrops occur from the Ukraine to the Pyrenees, and from Greece to Poland. They are not actually native to the UK. The snowdrop wasn’t recorded wild in the UK until the 1770s.¹