Question: Hello. I encountered this small, but striking flower in West Newbury yesterday. It was growing roadside on the edge of …
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Question
Hello. I encountered this small, but striking flower in West Newbury yesterday. It was growing roadside on the edge of a meadow in a partially wooded area. Also blooming in the same area were Wild Geraniums and Dame's Rocket. The plant was about 1.5' tall with opposite, lanceolate leaves at about 5" intervals along the stem with about a 30 degree rotation of each pair. The way each petal was divided was particularly striking.
Answer
Dear chaffeemonell, your plant is Lychnis flos-cuculi (ragged robin lychis), a non-native plant of low meadows, shorelines, and ditches. It can be quite abundant in some locations in New England. Best wishes.
