Cuckooflower

/ˈkʌkuːˌflaʊ.ər/ noun

Definition

A spring-flowering plant with purple or pink flowers, named because it blooms when cuckoos arrive in spring.

Etymology

Compound of 'cuckoo' + 'flower'; named by English speakers who noticed the plant blooming at the same time cuckoos returned from migration, making it a seasonal marker.

Kelly Says

Before smartphones and calendars, people used plants like cuckooflower as living alarm clocks—when this flower bloomed, farmers knew it was time to plant crops and that spring had truly arrived.

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