The Temperate Database is in the process of being updated, with new records being added and old ones being checked and brought up to date where necessary. This record has not yet been checked and updated.

Common Name: Cuckoo Flower

General Information

Cardamine pratensis is a perennial plant that can grow up to 0.45 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Most of Europe, including Britain, N. Asia and N. America.

Habitat

Moist, slightly shady places in meadows and by streams[, , ], usually in acid soils[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.45 m
Pollinators	Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in most soils[, ] so long as they are moist or wet[, ]. Prefers a cool damp soil[]. Succeeds in full sun or partial shade[].
Cuckoo flower was at one time much used as a spring salad plant and was often sold in local markets. It has, however, fallen out of favour and is scarcely used at present[].
A polymorphic species[].
A very ornamental plant, non-invasive and well suited to the wild garden though it may require protection from wood pigeons who eat out the young buds in spring[]. It grows well in the spring meadow[]. A food plant for the orange tip butterfly[].
There is at least one named variety, selected for its ornamental value. 'Flore Pleno' is a double flowered form[].

Edible Uses

Leaves and young shoots - raw or cooked[, , , , ]. Rich in vitamins and minerals[], especially vitamin C[], but with a bitter and pungent flavour[]. The leaves and young shoots are harvested in the spring and taste rather like water cress[]. The leaves can be available early in the year[] and when used in small quantities make a very acceptable addition to salads[, ].
Flowers and flower buds - raw. A pungent cress-like flavour[, ]. The white flowers are very attractive, they make a pleasant nibble and also add a delicious flavour to salads[].

Medicinal

Cuckoo flower is seldom used in herbalism, though an infusion of the leaves has been used to treat indigestion and promote appetite[].
The leaves and the flowering plant are antirheumatic, antiscorbutic, antispasmodic, carminative, digestive, diuretic, stimulant[, , , , ]. They are used internally in the treatment of chronic skin complaints, asthma and hysteria[]. The plant is harvested in spring and early summer and is best used when fresh[, ].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow outdoors in a seedbed in a shady position in mid spring. Plant out in autumn or spring.
Division in spring or autumn[].
The plant produces young plants at the base of its leaflets. When large enough, these can be easily separated from the main plant and grown on as individual plants[].