Primrose

The little spring flower Primrose and its cousin, Primula or Cowslip (Primula veris), used to be highly sought after for the expectorant, mildly-sedative effects of their roots. They can be used interchangeably but Primula is thought to be the more potent of the two, hence it’s rare to find Cowslips in the wild anymore, yet you will often find plenty of Primroses in the Spring. Both were also prized for their use as a culinary herb in the past, their flowers and leaves being used raw or cooked, in salads or as a pot-herb/vegetable. Whilst Primrose and Primula are edible for humans, they’re toxic to cats and dogs and will make them vomit. In folklore, large patches of Primroses were thought to signify that the entrance to the kingdom of the faeries was nearby, and if you were to put a Primrose on your front door step, the faeries would bless your house. It was also customary for farmers to rub the cow’s udders with Primrose to stop the faeries from stealing the milk or making it go bad.

• Recommended by Hildegard of Bingen for treating depression and a broken heart.

• Contains Saponins and Salicylates which are anti-inflammatory, making it useful for treating arthritic and rheumatic conditions.

• As mentioned the flowers and leaves are edible, but the flowers can be added to wine to make a medicinal, sedative beverage that was once given to children when they couldn’t sleep.

• Excellent remedy for headaches, muscular cramps or spasms.

• The roots have much stronger sedative, expectorant qualities than the leaves, which is why they make a great medicine for colds and flu, Sinusitis or Insomnia. However, they’re also emetic, so remember, if you take too much, you will probably vomit.

• Research from Poland in 2012 found a compound in Cowslip which is being used as an anti-cancer treatment.

• Has diaphoretic qualities that can be used to break a fever.