| November 2008 - Pulmonaria |
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| Friday, 31 October 2008 19:00 |
 The Boraginaceae family includes the much loved forget-me-not (Myosotis) and the underused but beautiful plants of the genus Pulmonaria known colloquially as lungwort, Bethlehem sage, spotted dog or soldiers and sailors among others. The hairy foliage provides a semi-evergreen textural element to the garden whether the leaves are a solid green or variegated with spots and splashes of silver or cream. There are numerous species which will interbreed to produce many wonderful cultivars as breeders are turning their attention to this shade loving plant that can provide color in the early spring and brightening of woodland-like areas throughout the summer.One of the earliest plants to bloom in the spring, the display lasts for at least a month. Flowers are abundant and showy, nestled within the mounds of linear foliage. New growth begins soon after the first buds open providing a fresh palette for display. Balloon-like buds are often a rosy pink and open to trumpet shaped blooms that age to various intensities of violet blue, or begin blue and end pink depending upon the cultivar, creating an interesting array of flower color. Other selections are pure white or remain pink/red. This color shifting ability is said to be the root of the common name of Soldiers and Sailors - referring to the British military of earlier centuries. Lungw  ort is perhaps the best known of the common names and a perfect example of how an 'ugly' name can detrimentally affect the marketability of a beautiful plant. The name sounds more like a disease than something you would want to plant in your garden. Any plant with 'wort' as part of its name was thought to have medicinal properties, at the time when healers thought that plants gave clues as to their usefulness by their appearance, the lung shaped variegations indicated that these plants would provide treatments for respiratory ailments. Unfortunately this has not been proven to be the case but the moniker has stuck.Pulmonaria are easy to grow, requiring well drained but moist soils and a shady to semi shaded location, extreme heat and humidity are not appreciated. Morning sun is fine, afternoon sun will usually cause the foliage to burn. An excellent use for this plant is as a massed ground cover under deciduous trees. Some of the older cultivars have a susceptibility to powdery mildew which can usually be prevented by providing adequate ventilation and avoiding moisture stress. If the foliage does become unsightly, which being semi-evergreen it often does look tired by midsummer, shearing the plant will soon produce a flush of fresh leaves which will beautify the garden until buried beneath snow.  Generally, Pulmonaria reach a height of 15" (38 cm) with an equal spread and have a hardiness to USDA zones 4-8.Why are Pulmonaria so underutilized? Could it be that their early flower display causes them to be overlooked in the garden center when people are looking for color in mid to late spring? Could it be that garden center buyers are overlooking this magnificent genus and not providing their customers with the option? Or could it be that consumers don't want warts on their lungs? This plant may be a bit of a challenge to present to novice gardeners, but with education and signage this easy to grow plant will delight and captivate all who are willing to give it a home. P. 'De Vroomen's Pride' Clear blue buds and early flowers age to pink as the blooms mature. Medium green foliage is broadly linear with such an abundance of silvery white splashing that one could describe the leaves as white with spots of green. An excellent ground cover or small mass planting with a height of 12"-15" (30 - 38 cm) and a spread of 12" - 18" (30 - 46 cm) with an attractive mounding habit. P. 'Majeste' A somewhat more compact cultivar with 6" (15 cm) linear foliage almost completely silver with a simple dark green edge. Flowers are a bluish pink. Height to 12" (30 cm) and a spread of 16" (40 cm). P. 'Roy Davidson' Hot pink flower buds give rise to powdery blue flowers. Foliage is long and narrow and well mottled with silvery splashes. The result of a cross between P. longifolia (extremely long, narrow leaves) and P. saccharata, (mid-green wider, shorter leaves) this hybrid exhibits the best attributes of both parents. Height 15" (38 cm) spread 18" (46 cm). P. rubra 'David Ward' Pale green leaves have a broad creamy white margin that is susceptible to burning in locations with too much sun, so extra care should be taken with this cultivar but it is well worth it. The flowers are a wonderful coral red. Selected by the famous plants woman Beth Chatto, and named for her propagator. Height and spread both 12" (30 cm). Zone, 5 - 8. Pulmonaria saccharata 'Mrs. Moon' Dark green broadly linear leaves with copious silver spotting. Flowers begin as bright pink jewels that mature to a lovely deep blue. Mature height is about 12" (30 cm) with a spread of about 16" (40 cm). |
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