Photographs: Blarney, Co. Cork

Cowslip Primula veris Bainne bó bleachtáin Family: Primulaceae Flowering time: April-May. Perennial. Native / introduced. Drooping umbels of apricot-scented yellow flowers with orange streaks inside the corolla on tall, upright flower stems. The pale green leaves are stalked and wrinkled. Height 10-30cm Well-drained calcareous soils in grassland, scrub, woodland edges and on cliffs. Native in central Ireland, introduced in the north-east. A protected species in Northern Ireland. Similar: False Oxlip, P. polyantha is a hybrid with Primrose

Cowslip, Primula veris, Bainne bó bleachtáin