Succeeds in most soils so long as they are moist or wet. Prefers a cool damp soil. Succeeds in full sun or partial shade. Cuckoo flower was at one time much used as a spring salad plant and was often sold in local markets. It has, however, fallen out of favour and is scarcely used at present. A polymorphic species. A very ornamental plant, non-invasive and well suited to the wild garden though it may require protection from wood pigeons who eat out the young buds in spring. It grows well in the spring meadow. A food plant for the orange tip butterfly. There is at least one named variety, selected for its ornamental value. 'Flore Pleno' is a double flowered form.

Leaves and young shoots - raw or cooked. Rich in vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin C, but with a bitter and pungent flavor. The leaves and young shoots are harvested in the spring and taste rather like water cress. The leaves can be available early in the year and when used in small quantities make a very acceptable addition to salads. Flowers and flower buds - raw. A pungent cress-like flavor. The white flowers are very attractive, they make a pleasant nibble and also add a delicious flavor to salads.

Seed - sow outdoors in a seedbed in a shady position in April. Plant out in autumn or spring. Division in spring or autumn. The plant produces young plants at the base of its leaflets. When large enough, these can be easily separated from the main plant and grown on as individual plants.

Moist, slightly shady places in meadows and by streams, usually in acid soils.