Pulmonaria - Growing Guide
Caring for Pulmonaria
Lungwort
P. ‘Blue Ensign’ is a clump forming deciduous perennial while the other varieties which we offer are forms of P. officinalis which is also known as the Jerusalem cowslip and spotted dog. P. officinalis is a clump forming evergreen perennial.
The attraction to gardeners in growing forms of both these (and other) Pulmonaria is that the flower so early in the spring and wake up the herbaceous border. Forms of P. officinalis will tolerate full sun but these plants do best in full or at least partial shade. They have funnel shaped flowers often starting as early as late February with us after mild winters.
P. ‘Blue Ensign’ has unspotted dark green leaves and, with its flower heads, grows to 12-15in. P. officinalis varieties do have white spotted leaves and grow slightly smaller to 10-12in.
After flowering is over these plants will need a tidy up to remove dead leaves and old flower stems. They multiply quickly as clumps and may get a bit out of control unless you lift and divide them every three or four years or so after flowering or in the autumn.
Plants
