- Home >
- A special place >
- What's special - nature >
- Species >
- Plants >
- Marsh plants >
- Cuckooflower
Cuckooflower
- About national parks
- About the Yorkshire Dales National Park
- What's special - nature
- What's special - landscape
- What's special - cultural heritage
- What's special - being here
Taxonomic information
Common Name: Cuckooflower
Latin Name: Cardamine pratensis
Family: Brassicaceae
Description
by Robin Graham.
Cuckooflowers appear in spring and range in colour from pale pink to pale blue. The plant has many alternative names including lady’s-smock and milkmaid. The name cuckooflower probably comes from its early flowering which along with the arrival of the cuckoo marks the start of spring. The lower leaves resemble watercress leaves and can be eaten; they are rich in vitamin C. The plant is easily cultivated in the garden and is one of the main food-plants of the Orange-tip butterfly. The cuckooflower is a frequent plant in the Yorkshire Dales National Park and can be found in flower in April-May in damp grassland and woodland habitats.
Related Links
Sorry to interrupt, but what do you think of this website?
You could win a luxury picnic hamper packed to the brim with delicious local produce that you could enjoy in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. All you have to do is fill in our quick survey.
Start linksend



