Pulmonaria

Elisabeth — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:24:00 GMT

In my daily garden tour I noticed yesterday that the pulmonaria are in bud and about to bloom. This is a real sign that spring is advancing.

If you don't know pulmonaria, sometimes called "lungwort", you should get acquainted. The plants are ground huggers, with elongated green leaves that are frequently speckled with white or silver. Some time in the past, people thought the leaves looked a bit like human lungs, hence the common name. Though it is not a member of the sage family and has no culinary use, pulmonaria is sometimes also known as "Bethlehem sage".

I love pulmonaria for the flower colors. In the horticultural world, many flowers are described as "blue", but most are actually blue-purple. The blue-flowered pulmonaria, however, are a strking shade of true-blue, that ages magically to pink as the flowers mature. Some varieties, like 'Raspberry Splash', feature vivid pink flowers that stand out dramatically against the leaves.

At least half the gardeners I know complain about shade and pulmonaria can be a godsend in shady situations. The plants will thrive as long as the soil is reasonably moist. The only thing that causes them to shrivel is too much dryness or sunshine. A happy pulmonaria is an expanding pulmonaria, and if you buy one this year, it will be ready to divide the second or third year after it is planted. With a little planning, you can easily use it as a groundcover. Like many low growers, it also succeeds nicely in pots.

Pulmonaria is a plant that pays for itself and offers a bright spot in the shade garden. If it did much more than that, you would probably have to pay it an hourly wage.

Essential Pulmonaria

Elisabeth — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 12:57:00 GMT

You can call it lungwort, Bethlehem sage or "soldiers and sailors". You can even call it by its Latin genus name--Pulmonaria. Whatever you call this useful little perennial plant, you should definitely call it a part of your garden.

I have had 'Mrs. Moon' (above), a wonderful, time-honored pulmonaria in my garden for years. For those who are not acquainted with 'Mrs. Moon', I can say that she is quite the charmer. The leaves are apple green in the spring with splotches of silver. Later in the season the splotches remain, but the leaf color darkens. Growing low, 'Mrs. Moon' waits until mid-spring and then bursts into bloom. The bell-shaped flowers aren't large, but they are spectacular. Opening pink, they morph over the course of a day or so into a stunning clear blue. This is not the blue purple of some flowers that the catalogs describe euphemistically as "blue". This is true blue, without even a hint of yellow or green or purple. It is the blue of forget-me-nots, to which pulmonaria is related.

For all her virtues, 'Mrs. Moon' is a shady lady, flourishing in shadowy spots with ample moisture. And a happy 'Mrs. Moon' is a prolific 'Mrs. Moon'. I started in my current garden with one plant about eight years ago and now have enough to edge a four-foot long border. While prolific, 'Mrs. Moon' is too polite to be invasive. I have no trouble digging out the few extras that pop up in my garden and giving them to grateful friends.

Over the last few years, pulmonaria have grown popular and breeders have produced scores of new cultivars. I know that I will get around to acquiring some of them, but for now I will content myself with going out in my garden and admiring the original 'Mrs. Moon' and her many successful offspring.

Growing Wise : pulmonaria

Pulmonaria

Essential Pulmonaria