Lychnis flos-cuculi L.
Ragged Robin
Ragged robin is a charming native perennial of damp places, easily known by its pink flowers, each petal deeply cut into narrow lobes that give the blooms a tattered, ragged appearance. Slender, branching stems rise from a basal rosette, carrying the airy flowers well above the grass.
About
Ragged robin is a charming native perennial of damp places, easily known by its pink flowers, each petal deeply cut into narrow lobes that give the blooms a tattered, ragged appearance. Slender, branching stems rise from a basal rosette, carrying the airy flowers well above the grass. It is sometimes placed in the genus Silene alongside the campions, to which it is closely related.
It grows in moist, unimproved ground such as wet meadows, marshes, fens and damp grassland, favouring soils that stay reliably moist. Flowering from late spring through summer, its nectar offers an early and valuable resource for long-tongued bees, butterflies and hoverflies. Once common but reduced by drainage and agricultural improvement, it is a key species for damp meadow restoration and pond-edge planting, and a rewarding choice for any reliably moist, sunny corner.
In our seed mixes
- BFS 13 – Tussocky Grassland Wildflower Meadow Mix
- BFS 3 – Floodplain Meadow Grassland Seed Mix
- BFS 4 – Heavy Clay Soil Wildflower Seed Mix
- BFS 5 – Wetland & Pond Edge Wildflower Seed Mix
- BFS 8 – High Nutrient Initial Establishment Wildflower Grassland Mix – 50% Flora
- BFS13(F) – Tussocky Grassland 100% Wildflower Meadow Mix
- BFS3(F)-Floodplain 100% Meadow Grassland Mix
- BFS4(F) – Heavy Clay Soil 100% Wildflower Seed Mix
- BFS5(F)-Wetland & Pond Edge 100% Wildflower Seed Mix
- BFS8(F) – High Nutrient Initial Establishment 100% Wildflower Mix
Beta — under active development. This catalogue is still being built and accuracy-checked. The information here (including plant identifications, British native status, soil and sun/shade preferences) is provided in good faith for general guidance only and may contain errors or omissions. It must not be relied upon on its own — please confirm details with us before making planting, specification, foraging or purchasing decisions, and never eat or medicinally use any plant based on this catalogue alone, as some species are toxic. To the extent permitted by law, Phoenix Amenity Supplies accepts no liability for any loss arising from use of this information.