Cuckoo flower (Cardamine pratensis)

The Cuckoo Flower (Cardamine pratensis), also known as ‘Lady’s smock’, is a charming native perennial that brings delicate pale pink or white blooms to your garden from April to June.

Its flowers are a cheerful sign of spring, often appearing around the same time as the first cuckoo calls. Perfect for damp, grassy spots, this plant thrives in wet meadows, pond margins, ditches, and even shaded garden corners.

Growing up to 40cm tall, it forms a rosette of grey-green to dark green pinnate leaves, with pretty four-petalled flowers that brighten up shady areas. Not only does it add a splash of colour to cottage gardens, wildlife gardens, and informal plantings, but it’s also a vital food source for caterpillars of orange-tip and green-veined white butterflies.

Low-maintenance and great for attracting wildlife, the Cuckoo Flower is a lovely choice for any damp or partially shaded spot.

Details

• Native: Yes
• Sun: Part to full shade
• Depth: 0 – 10
• Height max: 40
• Spread max: 30
• RHS PFP: Yes

Care Instructions

The Cuckoo Flower thrives in moist, shady areas and requires little maintenance – no pruning needed! A great low-maintenance choice for damp spots in the garden.

Repotting Instructions

Can also be planted in very wet soil – do not allow to dry out.

9cm marginal plants require potting into a mesh basket. Place in a pond no deeper than 1/3 maximum recommended planting depth to allow the plants to establish.

1ltr marginal plants do not require repotting but will benefit from a bigger basket, there is no need to remove the mesh basket. Place in pond no deeper than 1/2 maximum recommended planting depth to allow the plants to establish. Plants over 60cm height growth will benefit from repotting into a larger mesh basket or should be planted in gravel to prevent them from falling over in a breeze.

3ltr and 5ltr plants do not require repotting; there is no need to remove the mesh basket. Place on the shelf of the pond at the required depth.