Cowslip is a name given to several flowering plants. These plants are the marsh marigold, the Virginia cowslip, the shooting star, and the European cowslip.
The marsh marigold grows in swampy places. Its bright yellow flowers appear from April to June. People often eat the leaves and stems of this plant. The Virginia cowslip is also called the Virginia bluebell. Its bell-shaped flower clusters always seem to be nodding. The shooting star is the common name for a group of plants also known as American cowslips. The flowers of these plants have a distinctive shape. The petals of the American cowslip bend backward, and the pistil and yellow stamens form a pointed tip that seems to shoot out of the flower. The European cowslip grows in meadows throughout Europe. It has fragrant clusters of large yellow or purple flowers.
See also Primrose.
