Cardamine raphanifolia

RHS Plant Profile

greater cuckoo flower

Other common names

broad-leaved cuckoo flower

Synonyms

Cardamine latifolia Vahl

Herbaceous Perennial

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A spreading hardy perennial which grows from thick roots (rhizomes). In early summer it produces clusters of lilac-pink, or white four-petalled flowers on thin stems above a carpet of dark-green pinnate leaves.

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 1 year
Max Spread: 0.5-1 metres
Max Height: 0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam

Moisture: Moist but well–drained or Poorly–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade

Aspect: East–facing or North–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H7

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Brassicaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Clump forming
Genus: Cardamine are herbaceous perennials with simple, palmately or pinnately divided leaves and short racemes of 4-petalled white, yellow, pink or purplish flowers in spring or summer
Name Status: Correct
Plant Range: S Europe (mts)

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow on soils rich in organic matter that retain moisture. Sun or part-shade.

Propagation

Propagate readily via rhizomes and by self-seeding. Alternatively, collect seed to sow in autumn or spring in a cold-frame or sheltered place outdoors. Mature plants can be divided after flowering

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Wildflower meadow
Low Maintenance
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to flea beetles and aphids.

Diseases

Generally disease-free