Lychnis flos-cuculi Petit Henri

The Lychnis flos-cuculi 'Petit Henri' is a very pretty variety of Ragged Robin with very double, tousled, pure white flowers. This adorable little perennial plant, also known as Ragged Robin, is sturdy despite the delicate appearance of its flowers. Its small, ethereal flowers, very abundant, appear throughout the summer, carried by surprising purple stems. It is a fully hardy plant that thrives in moist soils and the edges of sunny ponds. Its light flowering, animated by the slightest breeze, softens the stiffness of other perennials, and it works wonders in natural gardens.

This Ragged Robin belongs to the Caryophyllaceae family; it is a cousin of carnations. It is named like this because it blooms when the cuckoo sings. It is an upright perennial that thrives in wet areas of Europe (marshes, bogs) and can also be found in meadows up to 2500 m (8202ft) altitude. The variety 'Petit Henri' is a newcomer, a cousin of the very popular 'Petite Jenny' with which it shares all its qualities.

Its base is a stoloniferous stump producing a low, compact clump composed of bright green lanceolate spatulate leaves, semi-evergreen, which can reach 12 cm (5in) long. From this base emerge in May-June branched, slightly leafy, reddish-purple stems, about 40-60 cm (16-24in) tall, which bear at their tips bell-shaped calyx clusters, whitish in color, veined with red. The calyxes open to release pom-pom flowers of immaculate white, about 3 cm (1in) in diameter, composed of multiple deeply cut petals forming fine strips. These flowers have the great advantage of not yellowing with age. The Lychnis flos-cuculi self-seeds spontaneously, not always identical to the mother plant.