Ragged Robin
Lychnis flos-cuculi
Best Time to See: May, June
Habitat: Woodland, Grassland
Colour: Deep pink or white
A wild flower with a rakish charm.
Ragged robin's dishevelled beauty enlivens many a damp meadow.
Identification
Petals deep pink or white, each divided into four narrow lobes. Leaves are narrow and rough to touch.
Habitat and distribution
Wetter woods and meadows.
Did you know?
- Ragged-robin is dedicated to St. Barnabas. Why? Hay-making took place around his Feast Day (11th June) and this bright pink flower would been found amongst the hay.
- In Shakespeare's time it was known as Crowflower and is one of the flowers in Ophelia's "garland".
- In the the Victorian "Language of Flowers" it symbolises ardour, aversion, and wit.
- It is particularly attractive to long-tongued bees.
Conservation status
Many counties have recorded a local decline, mainly from habitat loss to agriculture.
