Lady's Smock

Cardamine pratensis

Lady's Smock has delicate white flowers that look like little stars! They bloom in spring and are often found in meadows.

Habitat: Wet meadows

Appearance

The Lady's Smock has delicate, four-petaled flowers, usually a pale lilac-purple or pink, sometimes white, forming loose clusters. Its deeply lobed leaves give it a distinctive lacy appearance, differentiating it from many simple-leaved wildflowers.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderBrassicalesFamilyBrassicaceaeGenusCardamine

Lady's Smock

Interesting facts

It's nicknamed 'Cuckoo Flower' because it blooms when the cuckoo birds start to sing!

Its peppery leaves and flowers are delicious and edible, tasting like cress!

Lady's Smock was once used to treat scurvy, thanks to its Vitamin C!

Some people believed that bringing Lady's Smock indoors would attract lightning!

Special abilities

Lady's Smock has roots that thrive in waterlogged soils, helping it survive in very wet meadows.

Lady's Smock has a spicy, peppery taste from mustard oils, helping to deter some hungry animals.

Measurements & details

Height: 20-60 cm
Spread: 15-40 cm
Flower Size: 1-2 cm
Bloom Season: Spring
Edible: Yes
Toxicity: None
Lifecycle: Perennial
Pollination Method: Insect

Ecological connections

depends on

Orange-tip butterfly

Anthocharis cardamines

Larvae feed on the plant.

pollinates

Honey bee

Apis mellifera

Collects nectar and pollen.

pollinates

Buff-tailed bumblebee

Bombus terrestris

Visits flowers for nectar.

Traits

Spring Blooming

Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.

Edible

Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.