Ragged Robin (Silene flos-cuculi, syn. Lychnis flos-cuculi)

Ragged Robin | Lychnis flos-cuculi

Delicate fringed pink flowers for wildlife ponds, bog gardens, and natural pond margins

Ragged Robin, scientifically known as Silene flos-cuculi, syn. Lychnis flos-cuculi, is a beautiful UK native wildflower that brings soft colour, movement, and outstanding wildlife value to pond edges and bog gardens. Famous for its delicate star shaped pink flowers with finely fringed petals, this charming perennial creates a wonderfully natural look around ponds, wetlands, and damp garden areas.

Flowering from late spring into summer, Ragged Robin produces masses of soft pink blooms held on slender upright stems above narrow green foliage. The unusual ragged appearance of the petals gives the plant its common name and creates a light airy display that moves beautifully in the breeze. It is particularly effective when planted in drifts around wildlife ponds or naturalistic planting schemes where its relaxed habit can fully shine.

This moisture loving perennial thrives in damp soils, bog gardens, marshy borders, and shallow pond edges. It is especially well suited to planting around the upper edges of ponds or within shallow beach areas where the soil remains consistently moist throughout the year. Ragged Robin is ideal for wildlife friendly gardens and habitat ponds, helping recreate the appearance of traditional British wetlands and wildflower meadows.

As a UK native species, Silene flos-cuculi, syn. Lychnis flos-cuculi is highly valuable for pollinators. Bees, butterflies, hoverflies, and many beneficial insects are attracted to the nectar rich flowers throughout the flowering season. The dense foliage and upright stems also provide shelter for insects and amphibians around the pond edge, helping support a healthy and biodiverse ecosystem.

Ragged Robin performs best in full sun or partial shade and prefers nutrient rich damp soils that never fully dry out. Once established it is extremely hardy and easy to maintain, returning year after year with fresh new growth and increasingly impressive flowering displays. It combines beautifully with other marginal and bog plants such as Bog Pimpernel, Creeping Jenny, Marsh Marigold, and Water Forget Me Not to create a soft natural pondside planting scheme.

Its relatively compact clump forming habit makes it suitable for both small wildlife ponds and larger natural water features. Whether used in formal wildlife planting or relaxed meadow style schemes, Ragged Robin adds elegance, softness, and important ecological value to any pond or wetland garden.

🇬🇧 UK-grown aquatic plant: Grown at a dedicated aquatic plant nursery in the South of England and carefully prepared for delivery across the UK.

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Key Benefits

• Beautiful fringed soft pink flowers
• Excellent plant for wildlife ponds
• UK native wildflower species
• Attracts bees, butterflies, and pollinators
• Perfect for bog gardens and damp borders
• Creates a natural meadow style appearance
• Hardy and easy to maintain

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Reasons to Buy

• Ideal for wildlife friendly pond planting
• Long flowering season from spring into summer
• Adds soft texture and movement to pond edges
• Thrives in damp and boggy conditions
• Suitable for naturalistic planting schemes
• Excellent companion plant for native pond gardens

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Care Instructions

• Plant Ragged Robin in consistently moist or boggy soil in full sun or partial shade.
• Ideal for upper pond margins, shallow beach areas, bog gardens, and damp borders.
• Water regularly during dry periods, especially when newly planted.
• Deadhead spent flowers to encourage prolonged blooming and maintain a tidy appearance.
• Cut back old foliage in autumn or early spring before fresh new growth emerges.
• Young plants may occasionally require protection from slugs and snails during early growth.

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Flowering Period

May to August

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Size and Growing Conditions

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Dispatching Your Pond Plants

Your Ragged Robin will be carefully packed to protect the foliage and roots during transit.

Orders received by 11am Monday to Wednesday are normally dispatched on the following working day using a next working day courier service. During busy periods, dispatch may occasionally take an extra day.

To avoid plants being held in depots over a weekend, we do not usually dispatch on Fridays. Highlands and Islands orders using a two day service are not normally dispatched on Thursdays.

Available basket sizes:

• Pack of 3 × 9cm Pots
• 1 Litre Basket – usually 11 × 11 × 11cm square; some varieties may be supplied in a 14cm diameter × 10cm round basket
• Pack of 3 × 1 Litre Baskets – each usually 11 × 11 × 11cm square
• 3 Litre Hexagonal Basket – 18 × 18 × 16cm

Planting depth is measured from the top of the aquatic basket to the water surface.

Plants supplied in 9cm pots require potting into suitable aquatic baskets before being placed in the pond.

Finofil baskets are manufactured in the UK from 100% recycled plastic and are fully recyclable. Their fine dual-mesh construction helps retain aquatic soil while allowing water and nutrients to reach the roots. Basket shape may vary slightly depending on the plant and supplier availability.

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Similar pond plants

For another pond-edge planting option, compare White Ragged Robin (Silene flos-cuculi ‘White Robin’, syn. Lychnis flos-cuculi ‘White Robin’) and Red Emperor Monkey Flower (Mimulus cupreus ‘Red Emperor’).

Explore more marginal pond plants or browse our complete pond plants range. Need baskets, aquatic soil or planting essentials? Browse our pond plant baskets and aquatic planting supplies.