- Wildlife
- Wildflowers
- Lady's Smock
Rosemary Winnall
About
Lady’s smock is also commonly known as cuckoo flower because it coincides with the arrival of the first cuckoo.
How to identify
The lilac or white flowers are 1 to 2 cm across with four petals. It has blue-green coloured upright stems with very narrow leaves in a rosette at its base.
Where to find it
Damp grassland, ditches, roadside verges.
Habitats
When to find it
- April
- May
- June
How can people help
Only 1,600 hectares of floodplain meadows are left within the whole of the UK, in a landscape which was abundant with this habitat. Cuckoo flowers, once common, are therefore becoming a rarer sight. The Wildlife Trusts look after many meadow and wetland habitats for the benefit of local wildlife and are working closely with farmers, landowners and developers to promote wildlife-friendly practices in these areas. You can support this vital work by joining your local Wildlife Trust.