They fade beautifully, starting as a lovelyshade of red; as they age, they become rich purple.
Medium green lance- and heart-shaped leaves on lungwort sport silver speckles.
Thissilver spottingcan become so dense that the entire leaf appears silver in color.
Credit: David McDonald
The leaves, stems, and blooms of lungwort are toxic to cats and dogs.
Where to Plant Lungwort
Plant lungwort where it will get plenty of shade.
Remove the plant and loosen the roots a bit from the root ball before placing it in the hole.
Credit: David McDonald
Backfill with soil, tamp lightly, and water deeply.
It has a moderate growth rate, and the rhizomatous roots will spread gradually to colonize a shady area.
Lungwort Care Tips
Lungwort care is pretty simple.
Credit: Mike Jensen
Give them enough water and shade, and feed them yearly.
Lungwort performs best inpartial shadeand is ideally shaded from the hot afternoon sun.
Soil and Water
Lungwort is tolerant of various conditions.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Evenly moist, well-drained soils are best as they begin growing.
However, once established, lungwort has no problem with a bit of drought.
These plants may need supplemental watering in full sun to look their best.
Credit: David McDonald
Temperature and Humidity
Mild temperatures are best for lungwort.
Heat makes them wilt, and they’ll do better once the weather cools down.
In the spring, they’ll emerge quickly and bloom before many other perennials really get started.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Fertilizer
Add compost to soil when planting.
Otherwise, lungwort doesn’t need much fertilizer.
Pruning
Remove dead stalks after lungwort finishes flowering to promote new growth and possible reflowering.
Credit: Richard Hirneisen
When the weather is very hot, some lungwort leaves and stalks will dry out.
Remove them if this happens.
When lungwort goes dormant in the hottest part of summer, you canmow off the topsof the plants.
Credit: W. Garrett Scholes
Keep lungwort watered, and they’ll rejuvenate in cooler weather.
They’re meant to be grown in the ground in a shady spot.
To treat, simply remove and dispose of the affected leaves.
Credit: Julie Maris Semarco
Pick off any slugs, which can damage foliage.
How to Propagate Lungwort
Lungwort tends to be a short-lived perennial.
After several years, clumps may begin to slowly thin out and decline.
Credit: David McDonald
Plant these into the garden at the same depth as the original plant and water well.
Lungwort will also reseed around your garden.
Its leaves are lightly spotted and remain handsome through the season.
It grows to 10 inches tall and is hardy in Zones 4-8.
‘Excalibur’ Lungwort
Pulmonaria saccharata’Excalibur' has silver leaves rimmed and veined with emerald.
Its rose-pink flowers bloom in spring.
It grows to 9 inches tall and is hardy in Zones 4-8.
Red Lungwort
Pulmonaria rubrais one of the earliest to bloom in spring.
Its clusters of nodding funnel-shaped pinkish-red flowers rise above solid light green leaves that lack spots.
It grows about 15 inches tall and is hardy in Zones 5-8.
‘Sissinghurst White’ Lungwort
Pulmonaria’Sissinghurst White' bears pure white flowers over spotted leaves.
It grows 10 inches tall in Zones 4-8.
Lungwort Companion Plants
Hellebore
Helleboresare easy and pretty.
Zones 4-9
Primrose
Primrosesare classic cottage flowerspopular with collectors who covet the hundreds of varieties.
The colorful flowers may be borne singly or rise in tiered clusters or even spikes.
Their evergreen fronds always look good and mix well with other shade-lovers without taking over.
Since the flowers look like tiny lungs, it became known as lungwort.
North Carolina State University Extension.
