Poor Jennifer Aniston. She can't go out picking primroses, her birth flower (Aniston was born February 11, 1969-the primrose is the birth flower for the month of February) in the United Kingdom. Well, she could, but it might land her in jail. The primrose, a lovely yellow flower that grows wild in southern Europe and the British Isles, has suffered so greatly at the hands of those wishing to collect the flowers that it's actually illegal to pick it or remove the plant in the UK without express permission from the owner of the land on which it is growing. What is it about the primrose that makes it so desirable to so many?
The primrose is also sometimes commonly called the English Primrose or the Common Primrose, but its scientific name is primula vulgaris. It is a species of the genus primula, which includes 400-500 species. Other members of the genus include the auricula, cowslip, and oxslip. Though the primrose is found only in Europe, its relatives are found all over the temperate Northern Hemisphere, in the higher altitudes of tropical mountains in Indonesia, Ethiopia, and New Guinea, and in southern South America.
Primroses are perennial and grow low to the ground. They are actually considered an herb, but many people enjoy them simply for their beautiful blooms. The flowers are normally a very pale yellow color, but there is a naturally occurring primrose in certain wooded areas of Wales that produces pink blooms. The pale yellow color of the wild primrose is one that is coveted by paint manufacturers who try to replicate it. There are also many varieties that are cultivated hybrids that come in other colors, including purple, red, pink, and white. Flowers grow singly on long, fuzzy flower stalks.
As an herb, primrose is used as a calming agent, to alleviate premenstrual symptoms, and as a treatment for a variety of ailments, including asthma and arthritis.
The root of the name primula and the common name primrose was chosen to indicate the early blooming of the flowers. They are among the first-or "prime"-flowers to open in the spring.
The primrose is a flower coveted for its beauty and in its function as an herb. Perhaps that makes it the perfect flower to symbolize February born Jennifer Aniston, both lovely and talented.
Wesley Berry is member of the American Academy of Floriculture (AAF) and President of Wesley Berry Flowers, a successful multi-million dollar floral business that was established in 1946. As a member of the Henry Ford Hospital Community Relation Board he has contributed to the community at large. He owns both a brick and mortar and an internet flower delivery business. Visit Wesley Berry Flowerson the web at www.800wesleys.com.