# Oxlip (*Primula elatior*)

The Oxlip is a beautiful flower that blooms in spring. It has bright yellow flowers that look like little cups and often grows in groups, making it a lovely sight in nature.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Woodlands

![Oxlip](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/%D4%B3%D5%B6%D5%A1%D6%80%D5%A2%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%AF.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Արարատ Թրվանց, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%D4%B3%D5%B6%D5%A1%D6%80%D5%A2%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%AF.jpg)

## Appearance

The Oxlip has pale yellow, bell-shaped flowers that often nod to one side of the stem, distinguishing it from the upward-facing Cowslip. Its textured, wrinkled leaves form a rosette at the base of the plant.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Ericales
- **Family:** Primulaceae
- **Genus:** Primula

## Interesting facts

- Finding Oxlips often means you're in a very healthy, ancient woodland!
- In some places, people once made a delicate spring wine from Oxlip flowers!
- Its name 'Oxlip' might mean 'ox-slobber', because of how its leaves look!
- Oxlips can hybridise with Cowslips, creating fascinating 'False Oxlips'!

## Special abilities

- **Nodding Nectar Guard:** Oxlip's bell-shaped flowers often hang downwards, protecting their pollen from rain and helping keep nectar safe for pollinators.
- **Shade Seeker:** Oxlip has broad, crinkled leaves that efficiently capture sunlight, even under dense tree canopies, helping it grow in shady woodlands.
- **Sweet Scent Beacon:** Oxlip releases a subtle, sweet fragrance, guiding early spring bees and butterflies to its pale yellow blossoms.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 10-30 cm
- **Spread:** 10-20 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1.5-2.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Early spring to early summer
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** buff-tailed bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — collects nectar and pollen
- **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — visits flowers for nectar
- **Eats:** Spanish slug (*Arion vulgaris*) — consumes leaves and stems

## Traits

- [Bell-Shaped Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/bell-shaped-flower): Bell-shaped flowers possess petals fused or arranged to form a cup-like or campanulate structure resembling a bell.
- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Cluster Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cluster-flower): Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem.
- [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight.
- [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
- [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Do not pick flowers without asking an adult first, so we can protect nature.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Oxlip?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Oxlip?

10-30 cm

### How wide does Oxlip spread?

10-20 cm

### How big are the flowers on Oxlip?

1.5-2.5 cm

### When does Oxlip bloom?

Early spring to early summer

### Is Oxlip edible?

Yes

### Is Oxlip toxic?

Mild

### What is Oxlip's lifecycle?

Perennial

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Oxlip: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/oxlip)