Species › Plants › Cuckooflower

Cuckooflower

Cardamine pratensis

CommonPlant
Illustration of Cuckooflower (Cardamine pratensis)

Cuckooflower is a charming perennial with pale pink to lilac flowers. It is one of the first flowers to bloom in spring, often coinciding with the arrival of cuckoos, hence its name. The plant is also known as Lady's Smock.

Habitat
It is found in damp meadows and along riverbanks.
Diet
Its nectar attracts a variety of pollinators, including bees and butterflies.
How common
Common

Best time to see a Cuckooflower

The best time to see a Cuckooflower is May, when about 61% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 1,614 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Not certain it is a Cuckooflower? What plant is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.

Recent Cuckooflower sightings near you

Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.

Spotted a Cuckooflower?

Point Huck at any plant, bird, or animal and know for sure - plus a live map of where it is being spotted near you.

Get Huck - free
5,300+species
63national parks
50states

More plants

Cucumbertree
Cucumbertree
Magnolia acuminata
Culver's Root
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Cup Plant
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
Curly Dock
Curly Dock
Rumex crispus
Curly Pondweed
Curly Pondweed
Potamogeton crispus
Cut-leaved Toothwort
Cut-leaved Toothwort
Cardamine concatenata
Cutleaf Blackberry
Cutleaf Blackberry
Rubus laciniatus
Cutleaf Coneflower
Cutleaf Coneflower
Rudbeckia laciniata