On a recent walk to the upper meadow off the Saw Whet Trial, I came across an old friend. A pretty, frilly little flower called Ragged Robin.

According to some quick hunting on the worldwide web, Ragged Robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi) is non-native naturalized flower that is a member of the Pink and Carnation family. It is found in damp meadows and woods. It has thin stems and sprays of pink flowers with raggedy petals which are in bloom May to July. Butterflies love this plant, especially the white species.

Only Connecticut has listed it as potentially invasive, although it is on Maine's statewide weed list. The root contains saponins and although it is toxic it is poorly absorbed by the body. Saponins were traditionally used as a soap substitute.

In England, men would carry the plant in their pockets and success in love was determined by whether the plant thrived or not. By the 1600s girls carried the plant as well under their aprons, giving each plant the name of a local boy. The flower that opened first would bear the name of the boy she would marry or who wanted to marry her.

Quite a lot of interesting facts for a timid inhabitant of the upper meadow. Just goes to prove that everyone has a story.

58