Plants of the Dead: Evening Primrose

Plants of the Dead:

All living beings, including plants and trees, are believed to have a spirit. Plants hold great importance in the grieving process and are often seen at funerals and graves, with each plant conveying a unique message. The spirits of plants can aid in improving your connection with your ancestors, and this blog series aims to guide you through this process.

Evening Primrose

As the name suggests, the evening primrose blooms in the evening, making it a unique flower.

Although yellow is the most common colour for evening primrose, they can also come in white, pink, red, and purple varieties. These flowers can reach heights of three to five feet and have four petals that form a "bowl" shape.

In the Victorian language of flowers, the evening primrose can hold different meanings. It can represent fond memories or young lovers in some cases, while in other instances, it signifies fickleness and unfaithfulness.

Having thirteen primroses in your home is considered to be lucky and protective. There are some superstitions that advise against having more or less than thirteen, as it may result in bad luck.

This wildflower commonly grows in rural North American graveyards, so it has naturally become associated with death. On a gravestone, it represents eternal love, remembrance, and hope.

An evening primrose picked from a cemetery can aid in divination and spirit communication.

You can learn a lot about plant symbolism in cemeteries in my new book, The Book of Ancestors: A Guide to Magic, Rituals and Your Family History. Get your copy here!

The Memento Mori card "carnation" is part of an exclusive Patreon set.