Cardamine pratensis 'Plena'
double cuckoo flower
A compact, clump-forming perennial to 20cm tall, freely producing grey-green leafy plantlets in the basal leaf clusters, and bearing panicles of double lilac-pink flowers in late spring
Size
Ultimate height
0.1–0.5 metresTime to ultimate height
2–5 yearsUltimate spread
0–0.1 metreGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Poorly–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Pink | Green | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Pink | Green | ||
| Autumn | ||||
| Winter |
Position
- Full shade
- Partial shade
Aspect
North–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered Hardiness
H7Botanical details
- Family
- Brassicaceae
- Native to GB / Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Clump forming
- 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
Accepted
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in humus-rich moist soil in full or partial shade
Propagation
Divide after flowering or in early autumn. Root leaf-tip cuttings in midsummer. It may also form plantlets in the axils of the leaflets
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Cottage and informal garden
- Rock garden
- Wildlife gardens
- Flower borders and beds
Pruning
No pruning required
Pests
Aphids and flea beetles may damage the leaves
Diseases
Generally disease-free
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.