Pasque flower, Upper Palatinate, Bavaria, Germany

© Design Pics/Alam

Pasque flower

Pulsatilla vulgaris, commonly known as the pasque flower, is a beautiful spring flower. It belongs to the buttercup family and begins to bloom around this time of year across Europe, including here in the Upper Palatinate of Bavaria, Germany. It can be identified by its upwards-facing, bell-shaped flowers ranging from pale pink to purple, each with a bright yellow, stamen-filled centre. The plant is covered with soft, silky hairs. According to legend, pasque flowers appeared in places that had been soaked by the blood of Romans or Danes because they often emerged on old barrows and boundary banks.