This is the tiny Scottish primrose (Primula scotia) and these lovely specimens still have a hint of the purple colour of the fresh flowers. They are Scottish endemics (so they don’t grow anywhere else in the world) and even then they are only found on the far north-eastern coasts along north-west Sutherland, Caithness and Orkney. This species is very particular about what it needs to thrive e.g. for the grass around them to be short (but not over-grazed), to be at a coastal site (but not subject to really severe storms) and where the soil is moist (but well-drained).
With a limited range and Goldilocks-style habitat preferences, this is the type of plant which which could suffer as a result of global climate change. Flowering and seed-set would suffer if the Scottish summers become either to hot or too cold, and violent winter storms could seriously damage currently healthy populations.
If you are interested in climate change, both what effects it may have and what we can do about it, then you may be interested to pose your questions to a panel of experts at The Manchester Museum’s Climate Change Question Time on 23rd February, 2012.
