Overview:
Most gardeners first encounter Pulmonaria with the old fashioned ‘Mrs. Moon’. This is a charming little plant with lance-shaped deep green leaves spotted with small white moons. The buds start out pink and open to a azure blue.
Latin Name:
Pulmonaria[i/]
Common Name(s:) Lungwort
USDA Zone:
Size:
Height: 10 - 14", Spread: 18"
Exposure:
Bloom Period:
Early Spring, One of the first perennials to bloom.
Description:
A low growing
perennial flower that often has long, variegated leaves that come in spots or splashes. The small funnel shaped flowers can be very vivid, with some changing color as they mature.
Design Tips:
Plant them among
later maturing perennials for a shot of spring color and the sun protection the taller, summer perennials will provide.
They also look especially beautiful planted with the delicate foliage and soft pink flowers of fringed leaf Dicentra.
Suggested Varieties:
Pulmonaria ‘Excalibur’ - A clump former with silver leaves and long lasting violet-blue flowers. Mildew resistant.
P. officinalis ‘Sissinghurst White’ - Long, speckled leaves with pale pink buds that open to pure white
P. ‘Spilled Milk’ - Has the familiar pink to blue flowers. Young leaves are tinged purple, changing to film of white as they age.
Cultural Notes:
Pulmonaria is a large genus with some form that will grow almost everywhere. Their season is early spring, when most other plants are barely poking out of the ground. Breeders have had a good deal of fun with Pulmonaria in recent decades. They flower in wonderful brilliant blues, pinks and white. The leaves can be solid green, speckled or completely frosted white.
Pulmonaria is a low growing plant, although the flower stalks can reach a foot and a half. Bees love the blossoms. Most varieties will self seed as well as spread by rhizomes, so they make a nice choice as a ground cover.
Pulmonaria are basically a woodland plant and prefer either shady location or at least a moist one.
Maintenance: After flowering, the flower stalks turn brown and flop over. The initial leaves also begin looking tattered. A removing the entire flower stalk and the older leaves will encourage the plant to rejuvenate and look fresh again. More de-leafing may be necessary if the summer is hot or dry.
Because they grow in moist conditions and low to the ground, pulmonaria can be prone to mildew and slug and snail damage.
