So, let's talk about the plant itself, its history and the variety of natural and selected varieties, about sowing and watering, about its distribution area and use. Lungwort is a perennial plant, under certain conditions it is evergreen, belonging to the Borachnikov family. It blooms immediately after the snow melts, therefore being a cold-resistant and shade-loving plant.
There are about 15 varieties of lungwort growing in natural conditions in the world. And about 20 varieties have been selected for sowing and maintaining the plant as an ornamental flower.
Lungwort has many names, one of which is Pulmonaria, which translates as “lung”. It is precisely for its ability to treat pulmonary diseases that the lungwort flower has become famous among the people. The Russian name of the flower is associated with the large amount of nectar that bees collect.
Description of lungwort
Characteristic features of the plant:
- The stem of the plant can sometimes reach up to 80 centimeters in height, but most often the lungwort plant reaches a height of no more than 50 centimeters. The root of the plant is long for a grass and has small tubers. The leaves of the lungwort are lanceolate-wedge-shaped, and many of them have down. The flowers are always paired small-flowered curls located at the very tops. Lungwort flowers have different structures: some have long pistils and short stamens, while others have the opposite. This prevents self-pollination. The fruit of the lungwort is a single-seeded crescent-shaped bean.
The second peculiarity of the flowers of this wonderful plant is the fact that in one inflorescence, on one stem, there can simultaneously be flowers of different shades and tones: from pale pink to dark purple. This is due to the fact that the grass contains plant pigments - anthocyanins.
They are responsible for the color of the petals. Due to the acidity of the juice, anthocyanins change the color of the petals. Young flowers have high acidity and the petals are colored soft pink; mature flowers have lower acidity, so their petals are blue or dark purple.
That's the whole trick. It was this fact that forced breeders to work and create plant varieties suitable for sowing in gardens, flower beds, and flower beds. After all, plant species growing in coniferous and broad-leaved forests of Eurasia are unsuitable for cultivation under artificial conditions. These plants prefer moist loamy or sandy soil. The best option is slightly acidic, loose soil with a high humus content.
Medicinal properties of the plant
There are legends about the medicinal properties of the plant. It is known that the famous herbalist Hildegard of Bingent, who lived in the 11th century, was one of the first to use herbs in the treatment of pulmonary diseases.
Paracelsus, the great physician, also noted his passion for lungwort as a remedy in the treatment of pulmonary diseases. The high content of vitamins, carotene, micro- and macroelements, and tannins in the flowers of the plant determine its properties. Decoctions and infusions from the herb have diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties.
They have antitussive and wound healing effects. And a lungwort leaf applied to a wound promotes faster healing than the leaves of plantain or Kalanchoe. The buds, leaves and even roots of the plant are harvested for medicinal purposes.
Dry in ventilated areas at a temperature not exceeding +40 degrees. Medicinal raw materials are stored in crushed form in paper or fabric bags. Lungwort is used for treatment: Lungwort (Pulmonaria villarsae) "Silver Bouquet" Lungwort ( Pulmonaria) has been known as a medicinal plant since ancient times.
It grows wild throughout almost the entire territory of Russia. They called it pulmonary - it was believed that it helps with pulmonary diseases. Nowadays it is fashionable to grow lungwort to decorate a flower bed or garden.
And in this new capacity, a modest forest plant from the Borachnikov family is sometimes irreplaceable. It is frost-resistant, blooms early, durable (can grow in one place for up to 30 years), multi-colored (there are flowers of different shades on the plant) and decorative throughout the season thanks to its beautiful pubescent leaves (they are spotted, edged and plain).
Selecting a planting site and preparing the soil
Another reason flower growers love lungwort is its ability to grow in partial shade and even shade.
If there is no such place in your garden, plant the plant where it will be protected from the sun at least at midday, for example, under trees. Despite the fact that lungwort is considered a moisture-loving crop, it does not grow well in wetlands.
In this case, it is better to arrange a high bed for the lungwort. The plant does not have any special requirements for the soil, but when grown on fertile loamy-alkaline and slightly acidic soils, it grows and looks especially good. Therefore, it is advisable to add organic matter to poor soils before planting. And only angustifolia lungwort grows well in poor sandy soil.
Choosing a lungwort propagation method and planting
Most often, the crop is propagated by dividing the bush. When using this method, the purity of the variety is maintained. This is how you can propagate lungwort longifolia ( Pulmonaria longifolia), sugar ( P.
Saccharata Mill) and interspecific hybrids. In early spring or early autumn, lungwort bushes are divided into parts, the roots are cut and planted at a distance of 30 centimeters from each other at the same depth. Sugar lungwort (Pulmonaria saccharata) "Mrs Moon" Long-leaved lungwort (Pulmonaria longifolia) "Diana Clare" Red lungwort ( P. rubra), medicinal ( P. officinalis), shaft-shaped ( P. villarsae) and narrow-leaved ( P. angustifolia) is often propagated by cuttings of rhizomes.
Towards the end of summer, a small part is separated from the rhizome, making sure that there is a renewal bud on it. Parts of rhizomes are planted at a distance of about 20 centimeters from each other, to a depth of 4 centimeters. For these types of lungwort, you need to allocate more space - they grow strongly. Red lungwort (Pulmonaria rubra) "Redstart" Narrow-leaved lungwort (Pulmonaria angustifolia) `Blue Ensign`
When transplanting plants from containers, you should not water them too much, even if they are slightly wilted. It is better to remove some of the shoots (except for the angustifolia lungwort - you cannot pick off its leaves), plant them in a permanent place and keep the soil under them moderately moist.
Growing from seeds. The crop is rarely propagated in this way; the plants grown from them do not always resemble the mother ones and begin to bloom only 2 or even 3 years after planting. But the softest lungwort ( Pulmonaria mollissima) are quite successfully propagated by seeds, and they must be collected in the year of planting.
Maryin root cultivation, planting and care
By the way, the seeds of this plant can also be spread by ants. Therefore, do not be surprised to find seedlings in the most unexpected places.
Caring for lungwort plants
In the spring, old, dry leaves are cut out (but not broken out, so as not to damage the renewal buds), and the soil under the plants is mulched (this will preserve moisture). When growing on poor soils in the spring, you can mulch the soil with humus, and in mid-summer you can add mineral water (dissolve 20 grams of complete mineral fertilizer in a bucket of water and pour this amount of solution evenly over a square meter of ridge).
For good growth, lungwort needs regular (but not excessive) watering, especially during drought. It is very important to provide plants with sufficient moisture during bud formation and during flowering.
Once every 3 or 4 years (but not more often) the lungwort is planted, otherwise the bushes will become bare and lose their attractiveness. After flowering is completed, it would be good to cut off the inflorescences, then the young shoots will grow better. If this is not done, the lungwort will scatter its seeds and cross-pollination may occur between plants of different varieties growing nearby. For the winter, it is advisable to cover varietal plants with leaves or peat.
Pest and disease control
The crop is not often affected by diseases and pests. But with stagnant water and sudden temperature changes, plants can become ill with various types of rot and powdery mildew.
In this case, the diseased plants are removed and burned, and the remaining lungwort bushes should be treated with sulfur preparations. Also, if there is excessive moisture, the crop can be attacked by snails and slugs. For prevention purposes, it is recommended to moderately water the lungwort plants and monitor the plantings.
Weeding and removing excess weeds that lead to thickening of shoots is simply necessary.© 2014, Planting a Garden. All rights reserved.
Lungwort flower - modest charm
Lungwort from the borage family takes root remarkably well in our gardens. The modest herbaceous plant does not disappoint with its vagaries and blooms early, almost immediately after the snow melts. The varietal species are especially beautiful.
The petals gradually change color from bright pink to violet-blue. The leaves, located on an erect stem, are soft and velvety, covered with silvery spots. It cannot be said that the lungwort flower will become the most spectacular inhabitant of the site, however, it has a special charm.
In England, this plant is usually grown for making salads. Young basal leaves actually contain a lot of vitamin C, as well as potassium, iron, manganese, calcium and other useful microelements.
By the way, even in dried form, the lungwort flower is still useful, so it is used for pickling or cooking. In addition, it has medicinal properties. Data regarding the types of lungwort vary, experts call at least 12.
The plant is actively pollinated, so structuring the genus is very difficult. For medicinal purposes, you can grow Lungwort, mild and obscure. In floriculture, the most decorative types of lungwort have proven themselves well: shaft-shaped with silver-white leaf blades, long-leaved and narrow-leaved, obscure, sugar, and also red with scarlet petals.
How to grow a lungwort flower
The scorching rays of the sun are contraindicated for the plant. The area where you plan to plant lungwort should be in the shade or partial shade, for example, under trees or near buildings. Then the pattern on the leaves will be well expressed, and the flowers will surprise with their rich shades.
But there are no special requirements for the soil; the perennial will take root anywhere. Of course, attention should be paid to soil drainage; water should not stagnate. Lungwort can be propagated by seeds. In spring they are sown directly into the soil.
Weeds are removed from the site in advance, and it is advisable to also add manure. It is important to note that the depth of the beds must be at least 45 centimeters.
When the seedlings appear, they need to be thinned out, leaving about 8 centimeters of space between the bushes. The seed propagation method has two main disadvantages. Firstly, it will not be possible to maintain the purity of the variety; plants with a completely different color may appear.
Secondly, young plants grown from lungwort seeds will bloom only after 2-3 years. Therefore, it is better to use propagation by dividing the bush. It is recommended to divide the perennial in early spring or in July-August.
The part with the renewal bud is carefully separated from the bush and planted directly in the ground at a distance of about 20 centimeters from other specimens. The area around the planted plants is mulched using humus, then they will develop better.
Young bushes are covered with film for 5-6 days so that the moisture does not evaporate so quickly. The divisions will eliminate surprises with the variety. But in the future, the plants are remarkably cross-pollinated; in order to maintain the purity of the collection, different varieties should be planted away from each other.
Lungwort is moisture-loving, it requires regular watering, especially during drought, but you should beware of stagnation of water. Despite the plant’s undemanding requirements for soil, it is still advisable to add humus every season, and around July, when the foliage is actively growing, feed it with mineral fertilizers. Old leaves can be safely torn off.
After the bush fades, it is better to completely cut off the peduncle. In the winter, the plantings are mulched with peat, so they can withstand frost without problems.
True, the soft and shaft-shaped lungwort is additionally covered with a layer of dry foliage; these species are more delicate. The plant rarely gets sick, but sometimes it still suffers from powdery mildew. It is better to immediately remove and burn very infected bushes.
If the disease has just begun to develop, it is enough to tear off the affected leaves and treat the plantings with special preparations. In addition, snails and slugs do not mind eating the bushes. The less dense the plantings and the more thoroughly weeds are removed, the less likely it is that these pests will attack.
Lungwort in landscape design
In nature, perennials grow in groups; a similar arrangement is preferable for landscape design, for example, in mixborders. Plants such as uvularia, hostas, corydalis, ferns, kupena, and various shrubs will be excellent neighbors.
The foliage of the perennial remains decorative for a long time, so the modest beauty is simply an ideal choice for decorating borders and ridges. Lungwort angustifolia or red lungwort is used as a ground cover; they will also wonderfully decorate rocky compositions. The softest lungwort is suitable not only for partial shade; it can be planted in more open areas.
Lungwort - cultivation, care, transplantation and reproduction
| 13.03.2012 23:57
Genus Medunits(Pulmonaria) from the Boraginaceae family includes from 14 to 16 species of perennial herbaceous plants native to the Eurasian continent. Almost all currently existing varieties of lungwort come from several species: lungwort (Pulmonaria obscura), sugar or spotted lungwort (P. saccharata), angustifolia lungwort (P. angustifolia), Dacian lungwort (P. dacica), or soft lungwort (P. mollissima), lungwort (P. officinalis), red lungwort (P. rubra). Every year the collection of lungworts is replenished with new varieties. The advantage of lungworts compared to other plants used in decorative floriculture is its exceptional shade tolerance, as well as a long growing season with preservation of decorative properties and high frost resistance. Lungwort begins to bloom when there are no leaves on the trees yet, and is a real find for early spring compositions. In addition, it is a long-lived plant; the lifespan of one bush can reach 30 years. Lungwort (Pulmonaria offici-nalis), which is listed in the Red Book, is considered a valuable plant. Lungwort - cultivation and careFor lungwort, you need to choose semi-shaded or shaded cool areas, as it does not tolerate heat. Only in the shade can the pattern that decorates the green leaves of the lungwort, as well as the rich color of their flowers, fully appear. There are no special requirements for the soils on which these plants are planned to be grown, since the lungwort is very unpretentious and grows in almost any soil. For example, even poor sandy soils are suitable for lungwort. However, ideally they should be sandy loam or loamy, alkaline or slightly acidic, necessarily loose, containing humus. To do this, use a solution of complete mineral fertilizer (from 15 g to 20 g per 10 liters of water). Lungworts are relatively moisture-loving plants, so in dry weather they need to be provided with regular watering. However, they also cannot tolerate stagnant moisture, so it is important to choose the optimal watering regime. For Lungwort, Lungwort officinale and Lungwort red, more space must be allocated due to their ability to “spread.” For lungwort angustifolia, tearing off the foliage is unacceptable. After the last lungwort flower has withered, it is necessary to completely cut off (but not break off) the peduncle, so that there is not even a stump left. It is also important to remove old leaves during the flowering period. If necessary, you need to chop off overgrown shoots with a shovel. Preparing for winter such varieties and hybrids of plants as the common lungwort and the soft lungwort, they should be covered with a good layer of leaves. All types of lungwort need to be mulched with peat before wintering. Lungwort - transplantation and reproductionLungwort is propagated by seeds and cuttings. The easiest way to propagate lungworts is vegetative. The best time to divide the bushes is early spring, but you can do this after the end of the flowering period, in July-August. To do this, you should divide the bush and plant the divisions with the renewal bud in the ground, at a distance of 25-35 cm from each other. Before planting, it is recommended to trim the roots of the plant, and after it, mulch the ground around the young plants with humus and cover the planting with plastic film in order to reduce moisture evaporation. However, you should not divide the bushes too often. In nature, vegetative propagation occurs naturally, after the transition to flowering. This process accompanies almost the entire growth period, when old sections of the rhizome die off over time and the bush disintegrates. Dividing the bush is the only way to keep the variety pure; seed propagation practically does not provide such an opportunity. But with the help of seeds you can experiment with the coloring of plants, obtaining a whole range of colors. After planting seeds in the ground, the plant blooms only after 2-3 years. Interestingly, lungwort is a representative of myrmecochores (plants whose seeds are distributed by ants). Therefore, you can sometimes meet its seedlings in the most unexpected places. Lungwort - diseases and pestsIn general, lungwort is a plant that is resistant to diseases and pests, however, in cold and wet years it can be affected by powdery mildew. In this case, the affected plants must be removed and burned, and the rest treated with sulfur preparations. The most common pests of lungwort are slugs, which eat its leaves. They are combated mainly by agrotechnical methods, avoiding thickening of plantings, carefully cultivating the soil and clearing it of weeds, so as not to create a suitable microclimate for slugs for their development. Thus, plant lungwort in your area, you will enrich your flower garden with an excellent hardy plant , which will please you for a long time, without requiring a lot of time and effort from you. Crocus care |
The name comes from the Latin word "pulmo" - light. In ancient times, the leaves of these plants were used to treat pulmonary diseases. The genus includes 15 species.
All lungworts grow on the Eurasian continent and are confined to broad-leaved and coniferous-deciduous forests. Lungwort (lat. Pulmonaria)- a genus of low perennial herbaceous plants of the Boraginaceae family.
The genus includes 14-16 Eurasian species. In most species of lungwort (as well as in some other borage) there is a rare phenomenon among flowering plants of a change in the color of the corolla during flowering: pink at the beginning, by the end of flowering the corollas become blue. Lungwort - especially lungwort ( Pulmonaria officinalis) - has been used as a medicinal plant since ancient times. Some species are cultivated as garden plants, and many ornamental varieties have been bred..All types of lungwort are good honey plants. The scientific generic name Pulmonaria comes from the Latin pulmo - “lung” (pulmonalis - “pulmonary”) and is associated with the use of plants of this genus for the treatment of pulmonary diseases. The Russian name of the genus, used in scientific and popular science literature - lungwort - coincides with the traditional Russian name of the genus and is associated with the honey-bearing properties of the representatives of the genus: the flowers of the plant contain a lot of nectar, moreover, it is one of the earliest honey plants.
Sometimes there are other Russian names for the genus or its individual species: “pulmonaria” (according to the transliteration of the scientific name), “pulmonaria” and “pulmonary grass” (both as a folk name for those species that were used for medicinal purposes, and as a translation of the scientific name ), “lungwort”, “lungwort”. Like some other plants that bloom very early, immediately after the snow melts, lungwort in some regions of Russia is called “snowdrop”. All types of lungwort are confined to the temperate zone of Eurasia, with most species from Central and Eastern Europe. The widest range is that of the soft lungwort (Pulmonaria mollis): this plant is distributed from Western Europe to Asia Minor and Eastern Siberia.
Growing
Location: in a semi-shaded or shaded, cool place. The plant does not tolerate heat and is relatively moisture-loving.
For species such as M. vulgaris, M. officinalis and M. red, it is necessary to allocate more space - they tend to “spread”. The soil: plants prefer sandy loam or loamy, alkaline or slightly acidic, loose soils containing humus.
Lungwort angustifolia grows well in poor sandy soils. Care: In dry weather, water. Add humus regularly.
During the season, feed once in mid-summer, during the period of intensive growth of new leaves, with a solution of complete mineral fertilizer (15-20 g per 10 l), spending this amount per 1 m2. If necessary, cut off overgrown shoots with a shovel.
When preparing for winter, it is advisable to cover varieties and hybrids of common m. and soft m. with a leaf. Before winter, it is advisable to mulch all types with peat. The foliage of Lungwort angustifolia should not be plucked.
Reproduction
Reproduction by dividing the bush and seeds. The soft lungwort reproduces especially well from freshly collected seeds. Seedlings dive at a distance of 5-8 cm from each other. All species reproduce at the end of summer by cuttings of rhizomes with a renewal bud.
Planting is carried out to a depth of 2 - 4 cm, planted at a distance of 15-20 cm.
Usage
Use in groups, mixborders and rocky areas. The leaves do not lose their decorative properties for a long time, which makes them valuable for borders.
Lungworts are undeservedly rarely grown in gardens, although these bright, early-flowering plants with beautiful foliage that create decorative cover should find their place in the garden. Red lungwort and angustifolia lungwort can be recommended as ground cover plants for shaded areas, and soft lungwort will decorate flower beds both in the shade and in more open areas of the garden. Diseases and pests: in cold, wet years, red lungwort is damaged by powdery mildew.
Kinds
In floriculture, the most elegant types of lungwort are most often used. Working with them, breeders have achieved amazing success. Let's look at some of these types and varieties.
Sugar lungwort (Pulmonaria saccharata) grows naturally in the forests of France and Italy, forming large carpets. The evergreen sugar lungwort has large oval leaves (up to 27 cm long, up to 10 cm wide.
The matte green surface of the leaf is completely covered with silvery spots, as if dusted with frost. The funnel-shaped flowers gradually turn from pink to blue. The flowers are located at the end of a straight, leafy stem. The best variety of sugar lungwort is Pulmonaria argentea, or Pulmonaria argentifolia. Many varieties have been obtained from this species:
- “Cambridge Blue” - with blue inflorescences; “Sissinghurst Wite” - with pink buds that open with white inflorescences; this is a large variety with a height of 30 cm and a diameter of 45-60 cm; “Mrs. Moon" - with red-violet flowers and graceful leaves; "Dora Barnsfeld" - with light pink flowers, characterized by very fast growth; "Argentea Group" - with abundant spots on the leaves, making them seem almost completely silver, and the red buds open flowers of rich dark purple color; “Silverado” - on the leaves there is a large central part of silver, the edge of the leaf with a peculiar green border; on one plant you can see white, blue and pink flowers.
Foreign nurseries also offer other spectacular varieties of sugar lungwort: "Bowles Red", "Janet Fisk", "Margery Fish". Lungwort (Pulmonaria obscura)- the most common species in central Russia. It has wide, heart-shaped leaves without spots, green. Lungwort is very beautiful during the flowering period.
The flowers are usually lilac, but sometimes there are white-flowered specimens (form P. albiflora) and purple-flowered specimens. Breeders have so far ignored this relatively modest species of lungwort.
Lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis) It looks similar in appearance to lungwort, but its leaves are decorated with light spots. This species grows from Western Europe to Siberia, prefers soils rich in humus. The leaves of the medicinal lungwort are alternate.
The basal leaves are heart-ovate, on long petioles, and develop after flowering; stem - oblong. Lungwort blooms in early May, covered with pink inflorescences. As the flowers fade, the corollas turn purple.
Lungwort has been cultivated for several centuries. Its forms are known both with white flowers and with leaves without spots (var. imnaculata). In nurseries you can find elegant varieties of lungwort:
- "Cambridge Blue" - with pale blue flowers "Coral" - with pale pink flowers "Sissinghurst Wtite" - with white flowers
Both lungwort and lungwort are used in folk medicine as medicinal plants. Filarsky lungwort (Pulmonaria filarszkyana)– a rare decorative species in nature.
This long-rhizome plant from the Carpathian forests feels great in the garden; The height of the bush is 25-30 cm. But this species has a drawback: in cold and rainy summers the bushes can be damaged by powdery mildew.
In culture, Filyarsky's lungwort actively grows, forming a dense light green cover of shiny leaves. From the beginning of May, it blooms with bright red flowers and continues to bloom abundantly until the beginning of June. The listed types of lungwort are only a small part among the decorative species that decorate our gardens.
Beneficial features
The plant is widely used in folk medicine. Thanks to the content of various microelements, and primarily manganese, the herbal infusion regulates the activity of the endocrine glands, enhances blood formation, and stops bleeding.
Lungwort has anti-inflammatory and astringent properties due to the presence of tannins, emollient (due to the presence of mucous substances), antiseptic and wound-healing effects. Infusion is one of the best remedies for any lung diseases, hoarseness, in the treatment of laryngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma, cough, tuberculosis, bleeding from the lungs and gastrointestinal tract, dysentery, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, anemia, as well as purulent wounds, ulcers, abscesses, as a diuretic for kidney inflammation, bloody urine, kidney stones and bladder.
Lungwort juice is used instead of iodine for wounds. Crushed leaves are applied to purulent wounds for faster healing.
To prepare the infusion, pour 1.5-2 tablespoons of crushed dried herbs into 2 cups of boiling water, leave for 2 hours and filter. Take 1/2 cup 3 times a day 20-30 minutes before meals.
Externally (for lotions, washes, baths, rinses) use a more concentrated infusion (4 tablespoons of herb per 2 cups of boiling water). Side effects are excluded even with long-term use.
The duration of treatment with lungwort depends on the severity of the disease. In the treatment of pulmonary diseases, lungwort is recommended to be used in conjunction with herbs and infusions that strengthen the immune system, such as Echinacea purpurea, black elderberry syrup, various herbal mixtures, which can include licorice, thyme, rose hips, amaranth, strawberries, pine needles, currants, clover, acacia .
About eight years ago, while at my friend’s dacha, I begged her for a piece of a plant with an unusual leaf color. They were a deep green color with huge white specks. Only many years later they told me that this is “Sugar Lungwort”.
Main characteristics
Pulmo saccharata Mill– such a beautiful name for the sugar lungwort, or spotted lungwort. From Latin “pulmo” is translated as “lung”. This is no coincidence, because wear it out The leaves were used in the treatment of lung diseases. Sometimes it is called pulmonaria.
There are 15 species of lungwort in total.
Why do I like this flower so much? Firstly, because it retains its decorative effect from early spring until late autumn. One of the first to bloom in spring. The funnel-shaped flowers grow very interestingly: in pairs at the top of the stem. Moreover sometimes there are both blue-blue and pink flowers in one inflorescence. Very unusual and beautiful.
People have created a myth that blue is Adam's flower and pink is Eve's. According to legend, such dual colors of flowers on one stem are a symbol of the unity of opposites. When I read about this, I somehow looked at my lungwort in a new way. Not every flower will be the subject of legends.
Of course, I don’t want to debunk myths, but science easily explained the proximity of blue-blue and pink flowers on the same stem. The fact is that pulmonaria cells contain plant pigments that are responsible for the color of the petals. It depends on the acidity of the juice contained in the cells. For example, young flowers have acidic juice, which is why they get a pink color. As soon as the flowers of the plant “mature”, the acidity of their juice immediately decreases, which is why the blue color appears. You can even do the following experiment: drip acetic acid onto a blue lungwort flower. You will see that it turns pink as a result.
When Pulmonaria blooms, it attracts bees with its nectar. The process of plant pollination occurs faster. In Rus', because of this, they call it affectionately - lungwort - bringing nectar.
Throughout the season the leaves are very decorative. They somehow remind me of a frog - so “toady”, matte, green and all with large silver specks. And the leaves are beautifully oval-shaped and very wide, up to 10 cm. The bush itself is about 30 cm in height.
The lungwort has one important quality: it loves shade very much. This is understandable, because it is considered a forest plant. You can find few perennials with this property. I also especially like pulmonaria for its unpretentiousness.
Important properties of sugar lungwort include its frost resistance and durability. It grows in one place for almost 30 years. However, I advise you to be sure to replant it approximately once every four years. Otherwise, the bushes lose their attractiveness.
Reproduction
I propagate it very simply and easily. I divide the overgrown bush into several small bushes. After the transplant, the pulmonaria hurts a little, but then quickly revives and grows. You can also propagate by seeds, but this will take longer.
Care
Sugar lungwort loves light, sandy, fertile soil. Watering is the most common. Unless in dry weather it needs to be watered more. The plant requires a sufficient amount of water when it forms buds and during flowering itself.
If lungwort grows on poor soils, I recommend mulching the soil with humus in the spring. Closer to mid-summer, it is advisable to apply mineral fertilizers at the rate of 20 grams per bucket of water.
After the lungwort has finished blooming, it is advisable to cut off its flowers. Then the young shoots of the plant will begin to grow better.
Pests and diseases
Sugar lungwort is quite rarely affected by diseases and pests. However, there are two reasons when it can get sick with different types of rot and powdery mildew. This is stagnation of water and sudden changes in temperature.
In such cases, there is nothing left to do but remove the diseased bushes by burning them. Well, what remains should be treated with sulfur preparations for prevention.
If you carelessly over-moisten the lungwort, it will be overpowered by slugs. Therefore, I advise you to water moderately.
How to use for garden design
- Under trees and shrubs together with, ferns and. With full confidence, the lungwort can be called the queen of the shadow.
- Sugar lungwort looks very nice in borders because of its spotted leaves.
- Complements, which serve as a background for it.
Beneficial features
Beauty and usefulness are a successful combination of the characteristics of pulmonaria. Lungwort is not currently used in medicine. But its chemical composition is impressive: there is ascorbic acid, carotene, tannins, phenolcarboxylic acids and much more.
However, in folk medicine, lungwort is used externally to stop bleeding or to heal wounds. Because of this, pulmonaria is often called the “steam herb.”
By applying a drop of lungwort juice to the skin, after a while you can see the appearance of a yellow spot, like after iodine. Actually she as a folk remedy, replaces iodine. In these cases, it is given the name “iodine herb.”
A decoction of pulmonaria is sometimes taken orally for a sore throat, as it is an emollient.
This is such an interesting, original, beautiful and useful plant. Once settled in your garden, the sugar lungwort will remain here forever. It will turn into the “highlight” of your summer cottage, because its leaves are as unusual as they are attractive. It’s a pity that it has not yet become popular among summer residents. But her time will come!
If some part of your site is located in the shade and your favorite flowers suffer from lack of light, try replacing them with lungwort. It is enough to see a few photographs of this flower, and your doubts will disappear. And if the photo was not enough, then this article will help you make a final positive decision, from which you will learn how easy it is to grow lungwort in open ground, and how unpretentious it is in care and reproduction. All you have to do is choose a variety and start planting.
Lungwort: varieties and varieties
Almost all varieties of lungwort have an ability that is very rarely found in other flowers - they change the color of the corolla during the flowering process. Blooming pink, the corollas gradually change color to blue.
There are 15 species of lungwort. The most decorative of them, most often found in flower beds:
- Lungwort. A very impressive, but quite rare species. It is thermophilic. Its distinctive feature includes unusual large leaves, which at the beginning of spring are green in color and covered with silver spots, and by mid-summer the spots merge, thereby turning the leaf completely silver. Blooms in early spring with purple-red flowers.
Lungwort
- Lungwort longifolia. Up to 25 cm high with very showy leaves. The upper part of the leaves is dark green, with silver spots scattered across it, and the leaves below are gray-green. This species is more resistant to sunlight than others. Begins to bloom in April. The inflorescences bloom pink and then gradually turn blue.
Lungwort longifolia
- Red lungwort. The earliest view. It blooms for quite a long time with bright red flowers. In gardens it grows quite intensively, forming a dense ground cover of light green small leaves without spots.
Red lungwort
- Lungwort officinalis. A low (up to 30 cm) plant, characterized by good winter hardiness - it can withstand frosts down to -35 degrees. It blooms for about a month, starting in mid-May. The corolla is red at the beginning of flowering, but over time it acquires a purple tint.
Lungwort officinalis
- Lungwort is the softest. This type of lungwort forms dense bushes up to 50 cm high. It begins to bloom at the end of April with large blue-purple flowers. It blooms until mid-summer and very often reblooms in August or September. Leaves appear throughout the season.
The softest lungwort
- Lungwort obscure(dark). Another type of lungwort that changes the color of its inflorescences when flowering from pink to blue or dark purple. More demanding on soil quality.
Lungwort obscure
- Sugar lungwort or spotted lungwort I. Ground cover species. The evergreen leaves of this species form a large carpet. It blooms in spring with many inflorescences changing color from carmine to purple.
Sugar lungwort
Planting a plant
Lungwort prefers loose soils rich in humus. Sandy loam or loamy soils are good. For a flower garden, choose a place where there is no direct sunlight, because it is in the shade that the lungwort blooms brighter, and the patterns on the leaves become clearer.
The optimal time for planting is spring. During this period, the soil is most saturated with nutrients, and the absence of frost allows the young plant to adapt to the new environment.
Plant lungwort in a sunny place, and it will delight you with bright, lush blooms
Lungwort does not tolerate stagnant water, so it is very important that the area is well drained. Also, keep the area well clear of weeds.
Attention. Do not bury the lungwort when planting.
Lungwort care
This perennial plant is unpretentious in care. In the spring, you need to trim off old dried leaves and mulch the soil to retain moisture longer. The lungwort likes to water abundantly, but not excessively. Especially during dry periods, as well as during bud formation and flowering. Lungwort must be replanted no more than once every 4 years, otherwise its bushes simply lose their attractiveness.
Mulching the soil will help the plant consume moisture optimally
It is better to cover the lungwort for the winter. Although some varieties can tolerate severe frosts, it will be safer if the plant overwinters under a small layer of leaves or peat.
Fertilizer and feeding of lungwort
A week before planting lungwort in open ground, the soil must be fertilized. To do this, you can add humus when digging. In mid-summer, you can feed your plant with mineral fertilizers. To do this, 20 g of complex fertilizer must be dissolved in a bucket of warm, clean water.
Plant propagation
Perennial lungwort reproduces in several ways:
Dividing the bush. This method allows you to preserve all the varietal qualities of a perennial plant. At the very beginning of spring, the bush is dug up, the root is divided into parts and trimmed. The resulting divisions are planted at a distance of at least 30 cm from each other. Do not forget that you need to plant at exactly the same depth at which the plant was before dividing. If you couldn’t divide the flower in the spring, don’t despair, you can do it in early autumn, after flowering has ended. Sugar and long-leaved lungwort are most often propagated by dividing the bush.
Pattern: lungwort
Rhizome segments. This method is used to propagate medicinal, red, shaft-shaped and narrow-leaved lungwort. To do this, at the end of the season, several parts are separated from the root so that each of them has a bud. Afterwards they are planted to a depth of 4 cm.
Advice. Leave more space for these species because they tend to grow a lot.
From seeds Lungwort is propagated very rarely; the only species that effectively grows in this way is the softest lungwort. Moreover, the seeds must be collected in the same year in which planting will take place. And all other species, when grown from seeds, very often lose their maternal characteristics, and bloom only in the second or third year after planting.
Advice. If you purchased the plant in a container, then when transplanting it into open ground, you should not water the flower too much, even if it looks slightly lethargic.
Diseases and pests
Another positive aspect of caring for lungwort is that this flower is practically not susceptible to diseases and pest attacks. The only danger that can befall your plants is slugs and snails. They appear when the soil is too wet. Pull the weeds regularly and avoid over-watering, and you will not have any problems with lungwort.
Lungwort bush: combination with other plants
Lungwort gets along well with other plants. It works well next to the shade-loving hosta. However, you need to remember that some types of lungwort grow quite actively, so it is worth making larger gaps between plants so that your plantings do not turn into a jungle.
Lungwort combined with hosta
Lungwort bush in landscape design
Lungwort is an ideal plant for a natural garden. Many consider this flower the most beautiful of all forest inhabitants. It looks very natural among coniferous trees, forming a dense carpet dotted with colorful bright flowers.
Soft borders made from lungwort look neat. This perennial combines no less harmoniously with various shrubs. Try planting lungwort in the shade of derena or bladderwort.
Lungwort in landscape design
This flower is also irreplaceable in the spring garden in combination with blueberries, daffodils, and crocuses. And in flower beds with later plants it will look harmonious with astilbe, kupena and phlox.
Lungwort is a beautiful flower in its beauty and unpretentiousness. Growing it will not bring you any trouble, but its flowering will give you a lot of positive emotions. After all, it is not so often that you can find flowers that can change color during the flowering process. In addition, even on one lungwort bush there can be flowers of different shades. Decorate the shady corners of your garden with lungwort and let it delight you from the first warm days of spring.
Lungwort on a personal plot: video
Types of lungwort: photo
lungworts Essential border or ground cover plants for hassle-free shade and partial shade in the garden. They are decorative with their leaves - simply green, with silver spots or completely silver. They bloom in early spring. Flowers lungworts small, but interesting because they change color from purple-pink to blue. Varieties with monochromatic flowers and abundant flowering have also been developed. It is good to plant lungworts along the edge of a flower garden as a border, as they hold their shape well and are beautiful all season long. They also look great next to ferns, astilbes, roses and hellebores.
Lungworts, types and varieties:
"Bertram Anderson" Lungwort longifolia(“Pulmonaria longifolia”) is a perennial about 25 cm high. The leaves are lanceolate, long (up to 40 cm), dark green with silver spots. It blooms early, in April, with flowers on low peduncles. The flowers are pink at first, then turn blue. Has several varieties:
"Diana Clare" "Bertram Anderson" - plant height up to 30 cm. Leaves with a large number of irregular spots. dark green. The flowers are blue.
“Diana Clare” is a plant up to 35 cm high. The leaves are light green, densely covered with almost merged silvery spots, with a green border along the edge. Blooms profusely with blue-violet flowers.
"Majeste" "Majeste" - perennial height about 30 cm. Leaves up to 30 cm long are silver-gray with a narrow green border. The flowers are pink-blue.
"Leopard" Sugar lungwort(“R. saccharata”) is a plant up to 30 cm high. The leaves are large, oval green with silvery spots. It blooms in April - May with carmine-purple flowers. Varieties of sugar lungwort:
"Leopard" is a plant about 30 cm high. The leaves are dark green with bright white spots. Blooms with pinkish-red flowers.
“Mrs. Moon" "Mrs. Moon" - plant height is about 25 cm. The leaves are green with white and silver spots. The flowers are lilac-light blue.
"Sissinghurst White" "Sissinghurst White" is a perennial about 35 cm high. Leaves up to 25 cm, green with numerous whitish spots. The flowers are pure white. It blooms from the beginning of May for about a month.
Lungwort angustifolia(“R. angustifolia”) - plant height is about 30 cm. The leaves are lanceolate green, slightly pubescent. It blooms from the beginning of May for about 20 days. The flowers are first carmine and then blue. Varieties:
"Azurea" "Azurea" - perennial height about 25 cm. Leaves up to 35 cm long, green. The flowers are bright blue.
"Blaues Meer" "Blaues Meer" is a plant up to 25 cm high. The leaves are bright light green. It blooms profusely from the end of April with blue flowers with a purple tint.
"Beth's Pink" "Beth's Pink" - plant height is about 20 cm. Leaves up to 25 cm long are light green with white spots. The flowers are pink.
Location:
lungworts love shady and semi-shady places.
They need loose, nutritious, moderately moist, loamy or sandy soil.
Care:
Before the onset of winter, the soil near lungwort it is necessary to mulch with humus or peat. There is no need to trim the leaves.
In spring, only dead leaves can be trimmed.
In summer, during severe drought, watering is necessary
The plants need to be fed once in July, before new leaves grow, with full mineral fertilizer.
Pulmonaria, Lungwort. Perennial early flowering herbaceous rhizomatous plants. The basal leaves are pubescent on long petioles, the stem leaves are sessile and few in number. The flowers are tubular, red-violet tones (change color after pollination), in a dense inflorescence - a curl. Blooms in May.
Types and varieties of lungwort
The genus includes 14 species, growing in broad-leaved and mixed forests of Europe, the Caucasus and Siberia. Most often grown sugar lungwort (Pulmonaria saccharata).
Sugar lungwort (Pulmonaria saccharata)
The plant is native to the mountains of Southern Europe.
Bush up to 30 cm high, leaves broadly lanceolate with white spots. The entire plant is covered with hairs. It blooms in May until the leaves fully unfold with reddish flowers that eventually turn purple. Propagated by seeds and vegetatively. Damaged by powdery mildew.
Popular varieties of lungwort:
"David Ward" - leaf blade with silvery spots and a white border;
"Samourai"—the leaves are arrow-shaped, completely silver, the flowers are purple at the beginning of flowering, and at the end - blue;
"Majesty" - leaves with a thin green border along the edge of the leaves;
"Golden Haze" - with a yellow border;
"Berries and Cream" - completely silver;
"Silver Shimmer's" - with a wavy edge of the leaves.
Lungwort (Pulmonaria angustifolia)
Homeland - forests of Europe.
Short-rhizome perennial, 25 cm high. Grows from April to September. It blooms in late April-May, the flowers are blue. Fruits in July. Self-seeding Propagation by seeds (sowing before winter) and dividing the bush.
Filarsky lungwort (Pulmonaria filarszkyana)
Homeland - the forests of the Carpathians.
Long-rhizomatous perennial, 40 cm high. Grows from April to October. Blooms in May. The flowers are red. Reproduction by dividing the bush in August. There are few seeds.
Homeland - forests of Eurasia.
Short-rhizome perennial, 40 cm high. Grows from April to October. Blooms from early May to mid-June. The flowers are bluish-lilac in a large raceme. Fruits in July. Propagation by seeds (freshly collected) and dividing the bush in August. Self-seeding
Dark lungwort (Pulmonaria obsuera)
Homeland - the forests of the Carpathians.
Long-rhizomatous perennial, 30 cm high. Grows from April to October. Forms a loose thicket. Blooms in mid-May-early June. The flowers are bright red, collected in a curl. Propagation by cuttings of rhizomes in August. It practically does not set seeds.
Lungwort care
Lungworts are shade-tolerant plants that prefer light, sandy loam, humus-rich soils. They can grow in one place for many years. Some species (for example, lungwort and red lungwort) have the ability to “spread,” and they need to be given more space. In dry weather, watering is necessary.
Reproduction of lungwort
They reproduce by dividing rhizomes after the leaves die or by seeds immediately after they ripen. The distance between plants when planting bk and seeds is 25-35 cm.
