Cardamine pratensis
cuckoo flower
A perennial to 40cm, forming a basal rosette of pinnate leaves with rounded leaflets, with erect leafy stems bearing short open racemes of 4-petalled, pale pink or white flowers 1.5cm across in late spring
Other common names
bread and milkcuckoo buds
see morecuckoo spit
lady's smock
meadow bittercress
meadow cress
spinks
spring cress
cuckoo bread
lady's flower
mayflower
Size
Ultimate height
0.1–0.5 metresTime to ultimate height
2–5 yearsUltimate spread
0.1–0.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Pink White | Green | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Green | |||
| Autumn | Green | |||
| Winter |
Position
- Full shade
- Partial shade
Aspect
West–facing or North–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H7Botanical details
- Family
- Brassicaceae
- Native to the UK
- Yes
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Columnar upright
- 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
- Europe
How to grow
Cultivation
Suitable for growing in a flower border, rock garden or woodland
Propagation
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Wildflower meadow
- Cottage and informal garden
- Wildlife gardens
- Flower borders and beds
Pruning
No pruning required
Pests
Can get aphids and flea beetles
Diseases
Generally disease free
Get involved
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