Description of Cardamine pratensis (Cuckoo Flower)

Cardamine pratensis is cuckoo flower, also called lady’s smock. It’s a native spring plant for damp meadows and bog edges, and it brings light pink flowers when the season is just getting going.

Appearance

It forms low rosettes and sends up thin stems with airy pink to lilac flowers in spring. Height is usually 20 to 50cm. It threads through other plants rather than forming a heavy clump.

Care Guide

It likes moisture in spring and cooler ground.

Sun: Full sun to light shade.
Soil: Moist soil, slightly acidic to neutral.
Water: Keep damp, especially in spring.
Cut back: Tidy stems after flowering if you want a cleaner look.
Seeding: It can self-seed gently in damp spots.

It’s a good plant to weave between primulas and marsh marigold for a spring-heavy patch.

Suitability for Bog Garden

This suits bog gardens on the damp edge rather than the saturated centre. It works well in wildlife planting and meadow-style bog borders.

Give it light so it doesn’t get lost under tall summer growth.

FAQ

When does it flower?
In spring.

Is it native?
Yes, it’s native in the UK.

Does it like wet soil?
It prefers consistently moist soil.

Will it self-seed?
It can self-seed lightly in suitable damp ground.