Ragged Robin Seeds (Lychnis flos-cuculi)

Ragged Robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi) is a native perennial of wet meadows, marshes and damp woodland, growing 30 to 70cm tall. It has narrow leaves in opposite pairs on slender, slightly sticky stems and carries loose heads of pink flowers from May to July, each petal deeply divided into four thin, ragged lobes that give the plant its name. It flowers at the same time as the cuckoo calls, which is where the Latin name comes from.

The flowers are a valuable nectar source for long-tongued bees, butterflies and moths in early summer, and the plant supports several moth caterpillars. It is a short-lived perennial that self-seeds readily on open, damp ground, so a colony renews itself where the soil stays moist and there is a little bare earth. In a wet meadow its pink is striking alongside the yellow of Meadow Buttercup.

It needs damp soil that stays moist through the year, in full sun or partial shade, and tolerates seasonal flooding. It suits a wet meadow, a pond or ditch margin, a rush pasture, a damp woodland edge or a garden bog area. Avoid dry, free-draining ground, where it will not persist.

Sow in autumn or spring onto bare or scarified damp ground, surface-sown and firmed in without covering; the seed is very fine and needs light. It establishes quickly and may flower in its first full season. Cut in late summer once seed has been shed, removing the cuttings, and keep some open ground so seedlings can establish. Combine with our wet meadow mixes or single species that share the same damp conditions.