Going Cuckoo Tuesday 2nd April 2020

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Well some of you probably think I'm "cuckoo" anyway, but here I'm looking at another cuckoo, in fact a wonderful spring flower which goes by several names. It's common names  Cuckooflower, Lady's Smock, Milkmaids, and Fairy flower with it's scientific name Cardamine pratensis
A plant of early spring in damp grassland, damp meadows, the banks of streams and also on road verges as a result of compaction of the soil making a more moisture retentive medium.

 The young leaves can be eaten instead of say, Cress as they have a peppery taste, it is the county flower of Breckonshire and Cheshire where it is known as Milkmaids

Lady's Smock grows reasonable commonly in the county.

 There is a particular butterfly associated with the plant that is the Orange Tip, with freshly emerged adults on the wing from April through to mid June, after spending the winter as pupae. Only the male has "orange tips" to its wings but the underside pattern is distinctive in bothe sexes

 Orange Tip on Lady's Smock

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