Hunting down things to eat (and write about) becomes more of a challenge as the winter months drag on, particularly during prolonged spells of cold weather. I certainly wasn’t expecting to find this species, at least not in flower, during the second half of December. Whilst it’s tempting to blame climate change for this sort of thing, the bitingly cold wind and patches of lying snow make that explanation feel rather inadequate.
In early spring primroses are a much more common sight, vying with celandines to add welcome splashes of yellow to woodlands and hedge-banks before the insidious, over-bearing daffodils start to take over. The name derives from ‘prima rosa’ meaning ‘first rose’, highlighting its early appearance and the rose-like flowers. Like the celandines, it must flower early in order to make the most of conditions before the trees come into leaf and shade the ground beneath.
To my mind it’s a bit of a stretch to call this food. I’ve never eaten it (and I wasn’t about to make an exception for perhaps the only flowering plant in mid-Devon at the time) but the petals can be added to salads or even used as a garnish for more savoury dishes. Combined with other edible spring flowers such as violets they would certainly add colour and interest to a meal if you could bring yourself to pick them.
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“Hunting down things to eat . . . “
Never thought I’d read that in a blog by Dr Avery!
We all have to eat…