An early-flowering plant of the genus Primula, with white, red, or yellow flowers
A primrose is a wild plant which has pale yellow flowers in the spring. Any flowering plant of the genus Primula, one of 28 genera of the family Primulaceae. Primula includes more than 500 species, which occur chiefly in the Northern Hemisphere in cool or mountainous regions. The plants are low-growing, usually perennial herbs; a few are biennials. Most species grow 25-50 cm (10-20 inches) tall, but some are as short as 5 cm and others as tall as 120 cm. Many species are cultivated for their attractive, five-petaled flowers, which may be red, pink, purple, blue, white, or yellow. Other plants in the primrose family include cyclamens and pimpernels. The evening primrose (family Onagraceae) is not a true primrose. evening primrose Rosebery Archibald Philip Primrose 5th earl of Archibald Philip Primrose