Slightly later to flower than the primrose, its cousin the cowslip perhaps more accurately prefaces the onset of Spring. I have several specimens planted around the beech tree in the lower garden.
It is maybe three or four years ago that I came upon three very young rabbits among these cowslips. Tempted as I was to, "dispose," of these horticultural terrorists I permitted them to remain sentient. They had disappeared by the following day whether by courtesey of their dam or a feline predator.
The Latin name for this flower/herb is, "Primus Veris," a reference to its springtime fluorescence. The derivation of its colloquial name from the Old English word for cowpat, "cuslyppe," is less laudatory. In the guise of a herb the cowslip was used to produce cowslip wine and tea both of which were valued for their calming and sedative qualities. The flowers provide a decorative addition to a salad and frozen in ice cubes add a certain something to a g & t.
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