English herbalist John Gerard (1545-1612),
in his nearly 1500-page book Herball, or Generall Historie of Plantes,
explained the rather curious common name “cuckoo flower” as follows:
“These floure for the most part in Aprill and May, when the Cuckow begins to sing her pleasant notes without stammering.” (This was in the Bristish Isles.)
Cuckoo flowers prefer disturbed rich, moist to wet, well-drained soils, in partial or deep shade. Habitats
include floodplains,
woods, swamps, fields, meadows, shores, grasslands and ditches.
Plants: Plants are 1-2′ (40-60 cm) high.
Leaves: Pinnate, 1¾-4½″ (5-12 cm) long, with leaflets about
⅜″ (1 cm) in size. Leaves are alternate, sometimes toothed.
Flowers: In a spike at the top of the plant, 4-12″ (10-30 cm)
in height.
Pale pink, white, or pale blue to purple. Each flower is ⅜-¾″ (1-2 cm) in diameter, with four rounded petals and six stamens. Petals are typically notched in the middle.
Fruits: Fruits are slender and straight, ⅝-1¾″ (1.6-5 cm) long.
Edibility: Leaves are edible, sometimes used in salads.