Pulmonaria officinalis
Lungwort
Common names: Common lungwort, Jerusalem cowslip
At a glance
- Light
- Partial shade
- Spacing
- 30 cm, rows 40 cm
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Sowing
- Mar, Apr, Sep
- Harvest
- Apr–May
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −25 °C
- Water need
- Medium
- Origin
- Native to Germany
Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Description
Pulmonaria officinalis, commonly known as true lungwort, is one of the earliest spring bloomers along woodland edges, often flowering as early as March. Its flowers typically shift from delicate pink to bright blue, frequently displaying multiple hues on the same plant, giving it a distinctive appearance. The leaves are mottled with white spots and have a rough, hairy texture; they remain attractive as a shade-loving groundcover after flowering. It is an important early nectar source for bumblebees and solitary bees when few other plants are in bloom. Traditional folk medicine has used the plant, but safe use should be discussed with a qualified professional.
Care instructions
Plant lungwort in a semi‑shaded to shaded spot under trees where it feels most comfortable. The soil should be fresh to moist and contain some humus; water during dry spring weeks, especially in the first year. After flowering, trim the foliage close to the ground to encourage healthy new growth and reduce mildew risk. A mulch of leaf litter or compost keeps the root zone evenly moist and reduces the need for extra watering. Once established, lungwort tolerates occasional drier weeks and spreads slowly into a dense groundcover through seed and rhizomes.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingMar–Apr, Sep
HarvestApr–May
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 5 °C, ideally 12 °C
- Days to sprout
- 30 to 90 days
- Light
- Needs darkness to sprout
- Sowing depth
- 0.5 cm
- How to start
- Sow straight into the bed
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
moist, humus-rich, nutrient-rich, loamy
Lungwort loves fresh to moist, humus-rich soil, as it forms under deciduous trees. It feels most at home in nutrient-rich, loamy soil with good water retention. It does not tolerate permanent waterlogging, but it answers completely dry sites with limp leaves.
Feeding
Medium feeder
Months
Mar–Apr
One dose of compost in early spring is enough for the whole season. Spread mature compost or well-rotted leaf mould shallowly beneath the leaves, without damaging the roots. A mulch layer of leaves keeps the moisture in and gradually supplies further nutrients.
Overwintering
As a hardy perennial, lungwort draws its leaves back in autumn and survives with its root in the soil. A loose layer of leaves as winter protection does no harm, but is usually not necessary at sheltered sites. In early spring, leaves and flowers reliably shoot again.
Propagation
Methods
- Division
- From seed
The easiest way is to divide established clumps in spring after flowering or in early autumn. Carefully dig up the plant and separate it with a sharp spade into several pieces with roots and leaf bases. Sowing works too, but takes much longer to the first flowers, as lungwort also likes to self-seed. Replant the divided pieces straight away and water them in well.
Companion planting
Good neighbors
nightshade family (Solanaceae)
Borage attracts pollinators and is supposed to keep tomato pests away from the nightshade family.
For example PotatoTomatoSweet pepperCocktail tomatoEggplantCape gooseberry and 14 more species in the catalogue
Source: organic greenhouse companion planting practice
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
For your garden
Grow Lungwort yourself
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