Spotted lungwortwas used as a medicine in ancient times and is now a popular garden perennial. It decorates shady flower beds, covers areas under trees and decorates balconies. This honey-bearing plant is easy to grow and frost-resistant. See whatgrowing honey plants in the garden looks likeand what its requirements are. We suggest whichvarieties of Lungwortlook best in garden beds.
Lungwort - Pulmonaria officinalis
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Spotted lungwort - properties and application
"Spotted lungwort(Pulmonaria officinalis), also called lungwort, belongs to the borage family (Boraginaceae). Under natural conditions, it is found in mixed and deciduous forests in Europe and Asia. In Poland, it can be found in the forests of Western Pomerania and Greater Poland. The Latin name of the lungwort comes from the Latin pulmo, which is translated as lung. This is becauselungwort was usedin the treatment of lung diseases. "
The healing properties of Lungwortare mainly associated with the beneficial effect on the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. The properties of these herbs are owed to the following ingredients:
- allantoins and soluble silica, thanks to which lungwort has a positive effect on the healing lung tissues and fights inflammation,
- saponins and mucus from the herb honey extracts have an expectorant effect (they thin the secretion of the respiratory tract and facilitate its expectoration,
- Tannins contained in lungwort inhibit the growth of pathogenic microorganisms and soothe inflammation of the oral mucosa and throat.
Currently, however, in horticulture, the most important isdecorative properties of LungwortLungwort grows up to about 30 cm high, forming dense clumps. Erect, hairy stems grow from the underground rhizome. The entire edge of the leaves is set on long petioles. Green leaf blades are covered with silvery, irregular spots. It was thanks to these spots that the plant was called spotted. In March, goblet-shaped flowers appear on the tops of the shoots, gathered in a sickle-type inflorescence. Initially, they are red and then turn purple. "
Lungwort is a phenomenal decoration in shady and damp corners of the gardenAs an excellent shade plant, it is often planted under tall shrubs and trees. It looks fantastic on flowerbeds in the company of other shade-loving perennials, such as: funkia, cranberry, brunera, garden ferns, rodgression, chrysanthemum, heart-shaped bergenia, tawula or triple leaf.
Spotted Lungwort leavesblend beautifully with spring flowering onion perennials. Lungwort can also decorate containers, pots and create colorful carpets as a ground cover.
Lungwort - Pulmonaria officinalis
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Spotted lungwort - varieties
The most common are 3 varieties of honey extracts:
Lungwort 'Sissinghurst White'- is distinguished by white, large, cup-shaped flowers that contrast beautifully with green, silver-spotted leaves. It creates decorative, abundant clumps, thanks to which it works both as a border and as a colorful carpet. It blooms from April to May.
Lungwort 'Blue Mist'- the plant creates flowers in two colors - purple and pink - on one plant. It is distinguished by clearly colored, green leaves covered with silvery spots.Extremely decorative leaves do not change color throughout the growing season of the plant. It is a bushy perennial plant 30 - 40 cm tall.
Spotted Lungwort 'Opal'- this type of lungwort creates dense clumps up to 15 cm high. The silver-spotted leaves contrast nicely with the white flowers. It looks great in containers, on flower beds and as a floral carpet.
Lungwort - cultivation and requirements
The stand for cultivation of honey extractsshould be shaded or semi-shaded. The plant will also cope with poverty in a sunny position, but then its flowers will have a pale color. The soil should be rich in humus, loose, slightly acidic or neutral. Lungwort prefers loamy or sandy loam soils. It is fully frost-resistant (it belongs to the plant frost-resistance zone 5) and can winter in the ground without additional protection.
Lungwort is best planted in the spring , when the soil is already thawed and the weather conditions are favorable.Before planting, prepare the soil by weeding it and digging it with humus or compost. Plants are planted at a distance of about 30x30 cm and mulched with garden bark, leaves or compost.
Watering honey extractshould be systematic and it is important to keep the soil slightly moist. Lungwort or a moist position, but does not tolerate stagnant water. Particular attention should be paid to watering during bud formation and flowering. If lungwort grows in a shaded position, water the plants much less frequently compared to those in sunny places.
Lungwort planted in sunny bedsit is recommended to mulch it thickly to prevent water loss. With age, perennials will require less and less watering.
Fertilization of Lungwortis done once a season. In spring, we sprinkle a dose of compound fertilizer under the plant.
In late autumn, cut the aboveground partat a height of 10 cm so that it does not constitute a breeding ground for pests and diseases.We do not need to protect the plants additionally, as they withstand Polish winters without any problems.
Spotted lungwort - reproduction
Spotted lungwort can be multiplied in several ways. Most often,reproduction of lungwort by dividing clumpsClumps are divided in spring (in March or April) or early autumn (September) into several parts, so that each of them has at least 2 buds. Then immediately plant it in a permanent place.
We can alsomultiply the lungwort by dividing the rhizomeThe root cuttings obtained in this way should have at least one bud.
Sowing Lungwort Seedsis done in pots or in flower beds in the spring. In this way, however, it is worth propagating mainly the species itself, because decorative varieties sown from seeds often do not repeat the characteristics of the mother plant.
MSc Eng. Anna Błaszczak
