Primrose Meaning

The sentiment of not being able to live without a partner usually comes with young love. 

This is why the primrose also symbolizes youth.  It can also be related to the etymology of the plant’s name.  Coming from the Latin word, primus, it means first.  This is also connected with the fact that primroses bloom in the early spring. 

In Norse lore, Freya is the goddess of love.  The primrose is her sacred flower.  In rituals to honor the goddess of love, these flowers were laid out on the altar dedicated to her.

In other cases, the primrose was seen to represent the woman. Also, the petals on the blossom stood for the various stages of life - birth, initiation, followed by consummation.  Then there’s repose and in the end, death.

• Name:  Primrose
• Color:  When primroses bloom, they can have colors like white, blue, yellow, pink, and purple.  They’re all characteristic of the yellow eye - which has a yellow tinged center. But for hybrids of the plant, their flowers have solid colors.
• Shape:  The flowers of the primrose are quite simple – just a mere rounded shape.
• Fact:  Regular varieties of primrose will always have a yellow spot at the center of the flower.  This is known as the yellow eye.
• Poisonous:  When ingested, primrose can cause animals some medical problems.  It’s a poisonous plant but only to animals.  For humans, it’s safe.
• Number of Petals:  The flowers of primrose have five petals each.
• Victorian Interpretation:  Primrose blossoms mean many different things.  It’s a symbol for bashfulness.  It’s a symbol for inconstancy.  It also can refer to young love as well as neglected merit. However, the most popular meaning for primrose is “I can’t live without you”.
• Blossom Time:  Primrose blooms in abundance in early spring.  Sometimes, these flowers will bloom a second time in the fall.
• The Shape:  The blossoms that primrose has are very simple.  They just have a rounded shape.
• Petals:  The petals of the primrose are very unassuming petals.  They’re small and they can have a wide spectrum of colors (depending on their species) and they only provide the flower with a simple rounded shape.  Sometimes it has scallop like edges but it’s a pretty simple flower with simple petals.
• Numerology:  In numerology, the primrose is considered to be a number 5.  This is characteristic of the qualities like adventure, expansiveness, vision and also constructive use of one’s freedom.
• Color:  Whatever it lacks in interest for its shape, the primrose makes up for with its color.  Even as an “un-hybridized” specimen of these plants, they already have a mix of two colors.  Regardless if the flower has a dominant pink, purple or white color, the center of these flowers will always have the yellow eye. So if you see a primrose flower that has solid color on it (without the yellow eye), this means that you’re looking at a hybridized specie.

Superstitions

The English believe in a superstition connected to the primrose.  This concerns bringing primrose blossoms into the home.  If you have to bring these beautiful flowers into your home, you have to make sure that you bring them in group of 13.  Any more or any less than 13 blossoms can give you bad luck.

Herbalism and Medicine:  

There’s no question about the edibility of the primrose – its leaves and the flowers can be added into salads.  Dried up, primrose can also be consumed as tea while the younger blossoms of the primrose are made into wine.  These provide for medicinal benefits like curing insomnia, headaches, PMS, migraine, congestion, and cough among others. It can also help you with your weight loss regimen.