Primula veris - Cowslip
Although less common than the primroses, to
which they are closely related, cowslips are found in most parts of Wales. They are
easily destroyed by over-cropping of grassland, and so steep roadside verges and the edges
of woodland are places where they are most often to be seen.
In the east of Wales you will see many roadside verges swathed in bobbing
cowslip heads in April, May and June. The colours can vary, as seen in the picture below,
taken in the Teifi Valley.
Cowslips and primroses can hybridise, resulting in 'false oxlips'; an
example is shown below.
There is also a true oxlip species, but these are not common in Wales (if,
indeed, they occur here at all).
Wildflowers of Wales
This wildflower is one of many dozens that are featured in the Bestselling
First Nature Guide to the
Wonderful Wildflowers of Wales, Volume 1 - Woodlands and Waysides
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