Species of flowering plant native to western and southern Europe. Distinguished by having broad leaves and short leafless stems, each bearing a solitary pale yellow flower; pink and reddish varieties are found in nature and in cultivation. Numerous cultivars were popular in the 19th and 20th centuries in garden planting. The primrose is one of the earliest spring flowers in much of Europe, thus the common name is derived from medieval Latin "prima rosa," meaning "first rose," although the plant is not closely related to the rose family.
