The Complete Guide to Growing Pulmonaria

Written by Hannah Miller. Reviewed and Fact Checked by Elizabeth Smith. Published to Spring Plants. Updated: 21st February 2023.

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Pulmonaria, also known as lungwort, is an underused but rewarding perennial from the Boraginaceae family and is a cousin of the more popular forget-me-not.

Low growing and a very early bloomer, pulmonaria performs best in a woodland or sheltered setting with full or partial shade and moist, free-draining soil.

I experimented by growing this plant for winter colour, this is what you can expect:

• Late winter and early spring colour.
• Easy to grow and requires little care.
• Suitable for north and east-facing gardens.
• Bee-friendly – one of the few early-season plants that produce nectar.
• Attractive and unusual foliage.
• Will multiply naturally.

How to Grow Pulmonaria

I grew pulmonaria for a few years at my previous home and here I’ll try to answer questions you may have:

How to Care For Pulmonaria After It’s Finished Flowering

For the most part, I found pulmonaria to be a very easy and carefree plant to grow once I got it established.

You may find my tips below helpful:

Pruning and Deadheading

You can prolong the flowering period by deadheading the flowers after they’ve faded.

The outermost leaves will fade first, leaving the fresh leaves in the centre. You can tidy the plant by pruning the outer leaves after flowering.

Diseases

Powdery mildew may affect plants grown in dry soil and too much sunlight.

Consider relocating affected plants to a more suitable location with more shade and moist but free-draining soil.

This was never an issue for me, but I always try to grow plants in a suitable spot.

Propagation

I managed to divide my pulmonaria successfully in the spring, and I believe this can be done every 3-5 years.

Companion Plants

I’ve seen pulmonaria, hostas and heucheras combined together, and they work well, but it also looks delightful when mixed in with short grasses, ferns, tiarella, bleeding hearts and many other woodland or shade-tolerant plants.

Also Consider

• Bleeding heart plants
• Tiarella

Alternatives

Forget-me-nots are of the same family and are a more popular alternative.

Recommended Varieties/Species

Consider these varieties and cultivars:

Pulmonaria longifolia – This narrow-leaved lungwort is more resistant to powdery mildew and tolerates more sunlight but dislikes deep shade.

Pulmonaria mollis – The largest lungwort, this species will reach up to 60cm (2foot) high and wide and again has good sun tolerance.

Pulmonaria officinalis – This is the plumonaria I grew and it’s a classic “common” lungwort and produces deep leaf spotting but is prone to powdery mildew so must be grown in ideal conditions.

10 Key Points

Before you jump straight in and buy pulmonaria, consider these 10 points:

1. This plant is semi-evergreen, meaning it loses its leaves briefly or may only lose some of its leaves before they reappear. In my Surrey garden, it was evergreen and didn’t lose any of its leaves.
2. Winter hardy in all parts of the UK, but I know from experience that it prefers a spot out of the sun.
3. While pulmonaria loves a shaded, sheltered location, some trees and large shrubs soak up moisture that this plant requires for optimal growth, so choose a spot with reliably moist soil.
4. There’s no need to apply chemical fertilisers to this perennial; a yearly mulch is more than enough.
5. Pulmonaria can be difficult to grow in pots as the soil is often hot and dry; if you must, try growing it in a large pot in a cool sheltered and shady spot.
6. Deadhead to prolong the flowering period and prune after flowering, starting with the faded outer leaves.
7. I’ve had success propagating by division every 3-5 years.
8. Pulmonaria blooms from late February to late April and looks stunning when mixed with other spring-flowering plants.
9. Pulmonaria is an early source of nectar for bees.
10. The foliage is striking and unique.

Elizabeth Smith’s Take on Pulmonaria

I asked qualified horticulturist Elizabeth Smith to comment on pulmonaria:

Pulmonaria is a favourite of mine, not just because of the flowers but the foliage which is eye-catching and unique.

Pulmonaria is a great choice for planting under trees and large shrubs where shade is dominant but do make sure the soil stays consistantly moist. This delightful perennial can also be grown in north and east-facing gardens where many other plants struggle.

– Elizabeth Smith

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