Cardamine raphanifolia
(Lady's Smock)
Family - Brassicaceae
Category - Perennial
Origin - Southern Europe
Year of Introduction - 1710
Season of Interest - Spring, Summer
Hardiness - H7
Height - 30cm or more
Width - up to 50cm
Location - The Woodland Walk
Description: A Deciduous, rhizomatous Perennial that produces clumps of leafy stems. Mid to dark green leaves are pinnate with glossy, rounded to ovate leaflets. Small, cross-shaped flowers are a bright shade of lavender-pink. Each Bloom has a yellow throat. The Blooms are held in panicles atop upright stems and are produced from late spring into early summer. Attractive to pollinating insects.
Raphanifolia means radish-like leaves in Latin.
Synonym - Cardamine latifolia
Additional common names include - Broad-leaved Cuckoo Flower, Radish-leaved Cuckoo Flower
Flower:
Small cruciform flowers are bright lavender-pink. Each bloom has a yellow throat. The flowers are held in upright panicles and are produced from May into June. Occasionally plants can be found that produce white flowers.
Flower colour: Purple
Flower shape: Cruciform flowers held in panicles
Flowering time: May, June
Foliage:
Mid to dark green, pinnate leaves have rounded to ovate leaflets. The central leaflet in the group tends to be larger. The leaves are held at the base of the stems with fewer, smaller leaves held on the flowering stems.
Foliage Senescence: Deciduous
Foliage Shape: Pinnate with rounded or ovate leaflets
Propagation:
Division, seed.
Cultivation:
Best in full sun to partial shade in moisture-retentive soil that is well-drained.