Lady’s smock   Cardamine pratensis
 
Family:  Brassicaceae  Cabbage family
Habit:    Perennial to 40-60cm
Flowering:  April – July
Soils:     Humus-rich moist soil in wetter meadows
Sun:       Full or partial shade
 
 
 
Cardamine pratensis, often commonly known as Cuckoo flower or Lady’s smock is a pretty perennial herb common on the damp soils of meadows and stream banks.  It is widespread in the UK and also found throughout most of Europe and Western  Asia. In some countries, including areas of Germany, it is now under threat while, as it is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant, it has become naturalised in North America.
 
Lady's smock is a herbaceous plant growing up to 60 cm tall. Flowers are produced on a spike 10-30 cm long from April to July. Flowers are 1-2 cm diameter with four pale lilac (rarely white) petals. It has pinnate leaves 5-12 cm
with 3-15 leaflets of around 1cm long.1.
 
The plant was first described botanically by Turner in 1562.2. The Latin ‘pratensis’ means ‘meadow’.  The other common name ‘cuckoo flower’ originated as the plant flowers in the spring when the first cuckoos arrive in the UK. Another explanation from the sixteenth century links the name to ‘cuckoo spit’ which can often be found on the plant. The ‘spit’ referred to is due to the presence of froghopper Philaenus spumarius nymphs which are covered in a protective mass of bubbles.
 
Folklore held it sacred to fairies, and it was considered unlucky, for which reason it was not added to garlands carried during May Day celebrations.3. The petals and leaves of young shoots are edible and the flavour of the leaves is similar to cress. It can be eaten raw or cooked.
 
19 species of insect are recorded feeding on lady’s smock,4. especially the orange-tip butterfly Anthocharis cardamines (named from this plant), which emerges in April. The female lays its eggs under the calyx or on the stalk of lady’s smock. The eggs turn orange after a few days and after a week the egg hatches into a green caterpillar. The caterpillar mainly feeds on developing seedpods of the plant, until after a month it turns into a light brown chrysalis. It emerges as an adult the following spring.
 
 
References:
 
1.   Clapham A.R., Tutin T.G. & Moore D.M.  Flora of the British Isles, Third Edition, Cambridge University Press 2010
 
2.  Pearman, D. (2017). The Discovery of the Native Flora of Britain and Ireland, A compilation of the first records for 1670 species and aggregates, covering Great Britain, Ireland, The Channel Isles and the Isle of Man. Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland. p129
 
3.  Vickery R, ‘Vickery’s Folk Flora’, Weidenfeld & Nicolson 2019 p186
 
4.  Biological Records Centre database 
 
 
Page written by Ceri Leigh, compiled by Steve Head
 
 
 
 
Cardamine pratensis, often commonly known as Cuckoo flower or Lady’s smock is a pretty perennial herb common on the damp soils of meadows and stream banks.  It is widespread in the UK and also found throughout most of Europe and Western  Asia. In some countries, including areas of Germany, it is now under threat while, as it is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant, it has become naturalised in North America.
 
Lady's smock is a herbaceous plant growing up to 60 cm tall. Flowers are produced on a spike 10-30 cm long from April to July. Flowers are 1-2 cm diameter with four pale lilac (rarely white) petals. It has pinnate leaves 5-12 cm
with 3-15 leaflets of around 1cm long.1.
 
The plant was first described botanically by Turner in 1562.2. The Latin ‘pratensis’ means ‘meadow’.  The other common name ‘cuckoo flower’ originated as the plant flowers in the spring when the first cuckoos arrive in the UK. Another explanation from the sixteenth century links the name to ‘cuckoo spit’ which can often be found on the plant. The ‘spit’ referred to is due to the presence of froghopper Philaenus spumarius nymphs which are covered in a protective mass of bubbles.
 
Folklore held it sacred to fairies, and it was considered unlucky, for which reason it was not added to garlands carried during May Day celebrations.3. The petals and leaves of young shoots are edible and the flavour of the leaves is similar to cress. It can be eaten raw or cooked.
 
19 species of insect are recorded feeding on lady’s smock,4. especially the orange-tip butterfly Anthocharis cardamines (named from this plant), which emerges in April. The female lays its eggs under the calyx or on the stalk of lady’s smock. The eggs turn orange after a few days and after a week the egg hatches into a green caterpillar. The caterpillar mainly feeds on developing seedpods of the plant, until after a month it turns into a light brown chrysalis. It emerges as an adult the following spring.
 
 
References:
 
1.   Clapham A.R., Tutin T.G. & Moore D.M.  Flora of the British Isles, Third Edition, Cambridge University Press 2010
 
2.  Pearman, D. (2017). The Discovery of the Native Flora of Britain and Ireland, A compilation of the first records for 1670 species and aggregates, covering Great Britain, Ireland, The Channel Isles and the Isle of Man. Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland. p129
 
3.  Vickery R, ‘Vickery’s Folk Flora’, Weidenfeld & Nicolson 2019 p186
 
4.  Biological Records Centre database 
 
 
Page written by Ceri Leigh, compiled by Steve Head
 
 
 
Lady’s smock   Cardamine pratensis
 
Family:  Brassicaceae  Cabbage family
Habit:    Perennial to 40-60cm
Flowering:  April – July
Soils:     Humus-rich moist soil in wetter meadows
Sun:       Full or partial shade
 
 
           Garden Wildplants
        Garden Wildplants