Fundamental Facts:
HARDINESS: Zones 3 to 8
PREFERRED SOIL pH: Neutral
PREFERRED SOIL TYPE: Fertile, moist, well-drained
PREFERRED LIGHT: Partial to full shade
ATTRIBUTES: Broad leaves variegated with white or silver; for beds, woodland gardens
SEASON OF INTEREST: Spring into summer
FAVORITES: 'Berries and Cream', 'Mrs. Moon'; mildew-resistant 'Excalibur'
QUIRKS: Will wilt and may burn in dry, sunny conditions
GOOD NEIGHBORS: Bleeding heart, daffodil, dogwood, forsythia, iris
WHERE IT GROWS BEST: Under deciduous trees or in a northern exposure
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS: Powdery mildew in cool, damp sites
RENEWING PLANTS: Lives many years; divide crowded clumps
CRITTER RESISTANCE: Good except for deer, slugs and snails
SOURCE: Bedding plants, division
DIMENSIONS: 6-12 in (15.2-30.5 cm) high and equally wide
Lungwort in the Landscape
If you have a shady spot to fill and want an elegant, exciting plant to put there, consider lungwort, also commonly called pulmonaria. This is an ideal plant for growing under trees and shrubs or on the north side of a building. Even in deep shade, lungwort forms a broad, dense swath of handsome variegated foliage that blocks out weeds and forms a novel, eye-catching groundcover.
The slightly hairy leaves range in length from 6-12 in (15.2-30.5 cm) and can be speckled, streaked, or flushed with white or silver. When massed, the plants become a luminous carpet, with the spots creating little pools of light that glow in the shady places that lungwort likes to frequent. So pretty are lungwort's leaves that gardeners like to scatter the plants throughout a woodland garden or use them to line shady steps and paths. Lungwort is also a great addition to a spring bulb bed, flattering the flowers of daffodils, tulips, and grape hyacinths while they last and hiding the bulbs' foliage as it fades.
Fairy-Tale Flowers
While the leaves are still small and tender in spring, lungwort rushes to produce flowers that linger for only a few weeks. Loose clusters of buds open to pink, violet-blue, or white bells that remind some gardeners of little fairy caps. Pulmonaria saccharata 'Mrs. Moon', an old favorite, has pink flowers that age to blue atop silver-dappled leaves. For bright raspberry flowers atop foliage splashed with cream, try 'Berries and Cream'. 'Excal-ibur', which has pinkish red buds and blue flowers, boasts long, metallic silver leaves with green hems. 'White Wings' is a long-blooming type with pure white flowers.
Growing Lungwort
Because the plants rise and shine so early in the spring, fall is the best time to plant lungwort. These plants thrive in classic woodland conditions: partial to full shade in moist, loose-textured soil. Take special care with lungworts that have predominantly white leaves; these need more shade than those with mostly green leaves.
If the soil seems infertile, dig in some compost or other organic matter before planting and spread a thin layer of compost over the area early each spring. For a dense groundcover, set the plants 6 in (15.2 cm) apart. Always water lungwort generously and regularly when it's newly planted, and furnish water as needed to keep the soil moist. Lungwort doesn't fare well in overly dry conditions. When stressed, it wilts.
Lungwort is prone to powdery mildew, a disfiguring fungal infection, where days are warm and moist and nights are cool, or when it is grown in cool, damp sites or areas with poor air circulation. Luckily, many new hybrids, such as 'Excalibur', have good resistance to this problem. If mildew does strike, dip off and dispose of any foliage covered with powdery white patches. New leaves will sprout afresh and last through the season.
Pests seldom bother lungwort. Night-feeding slugs and snails will occasionally visit plants growing in deep shade. Set out saucers of beer to drown these pests. Deer may nibble lungworts growing in naturalized gardens. Tuck bars of strong-smelling deodorant-formula bath soap among plantings to repel them, or apply commercial repellents as directed on the label.
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