Community of green men. Sugar lungwort in the spring garden

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Lungwort (Pulmonaria) is a low-growing perennial with a herbaceous growth form, which is assigned to the Borage family (Boraginaceae). This genus contains from 14 to 16 species, found in Eurasian territories, not included in any orders. They can grow in the lands of Asia Minor and Eastern Siberia. Today there are 20 selected varieties that are used as ornamental garden plants.

Lungwort gets its scientific name from the Latin word “pulmo” or “pulmonalis,” which translates as “lung” or “pulmonary,” respectively. Naturally, it is clear that the plant was used to cure lung diseases. However, due to the fact that this representative of the flora has honey-bearing properties, in Russian it is customary to call it “lungwort”, “lungwort” or “medunica”, since it is the earliest honey plant and the flowers have a lot of nectar. But you can often hear the transliteration of the Latin name - “palmonaria” or “pulmonary grass”, “pulmonary grass”. All this is due to the medicinal properties of lungwort. In some regions of Russia, due to the fact that the flowers of this plant appear quite early, it is called “snowdrop”.

The height of lungwort, as a rule, does not exceed half a meter, although there are varieties whose height parameters can reach 80 cm. The rhizome is branched, quite long and has small size nodules. The stem is mostly erect, its surface covered with rough pubescence of hairs.

The leaf blades take on lanceolate-wedge-shaped, oval or lanceolate shapes, the edge is solid, there is a point at the apex, and pubescence is often present. Some varieties may boast white-silver spots on the surface of the leaves. The basal leaf plates have long petioles, and the foliage begins to grow only after the flowers bloom. Those leaves that form on the stems are much smaller in size, their number is small, they are sessile (there are no petioles).

Lungwort flowers differ in structure: some species have short pistils and elongated stamens, others lack this. Because of this difference, self-pollination does not occur. Flowers are terminal and always appear in pairs. Interestingly, buds with petals of different tones and shades can bloom on one stem: from pale pink to dark purple. This is due to the fact that lungwort contains anthocyanins (pigments of plant origin), which are responsible for the color of flowers. When the buds just open, the acidity concentration is so high that their color is soft pinkish, but then the acidity level drops and mature flowers become dark purple or blue.

When fruiting begins, the fruit ripens in the form of a sickle-shaped single-seeded bean. The fruit, when fully ripe, splits into two pairs of single-seeded lobes, with shiny and smooth surface and the shape of a nut. There are also fleshy bracts called arrilluses, which are especially attractive to ants.

Growing lungwort in your garden: planting and care

Lighting and selection of landing sites. It is best to choose a place for planting in an area with slight partial shade and coolness, where the pattern on the green foliage of the lungwort will clearly appear, and the flower petals will acquire a rich color. Most often it is planted under the canopy of trees or in the shade of buildings. The plant does not tolerate heat well, in a place exposed to direct sun rays the foliage begins to burn and the overall appearance of the lungwort becomes unsightly.
The soil."Pulmonary grass" is absolutely unpretentious plant and grows well on any substrate, so it does not impose any requirements, however, we must remember that stagnation of water will negatively affect the lungwort. For example, lungwort angustifolia tolerates even poor sandy soils, but still, if we take into account the natural places of growth, then slightly acidic or alkaline soils, sandy loam or loamy loose soils that contain a sufficient amount of humus are suitable for lungwort.
Fertilizers for lungwort. The plant will feel better if fertilizing is carried out regularly during the growing season and flowering. When the foliage mass is growing, it is recommended to add mineral preparations at the rate of 15–20 grams per 10 liter bucket of water. This is quite enough for 1 m2. Lungwort also responds well to fertilization with humus, as well as mulching the soil with rotted horse manure, and faded and cut flowering stems are placed on top. This layer can be up to 10 cm.
General care. When the shoots grow strongly, they are cut off with a shovel, so that not even a stump remains. Foliage that has aged or deteriorated should be removed immediately, even during flowering, to avoid damage. powdery mildew. But it is not recommended to tear off the leaves of the Lungwort variety.
Watering. When it's dry and hot weather, then you should water the honeydew regularly and abundantly, but in this case it is necessary to take into account the soil in which the plant grows.
Wintering. Almost all types should be mulched with peat or remnants of peduncles, only varieties of lungwort soft and shaft-shaped need to be covered with a good layer of leaves.

Steps for self-propagation of lungwort

“Pulmonary grass” can be propagated by seeds or divisions (dividing a very overgrown bush). Vegetative propagation by division allows you to keep the variety pure, but if seeds are sown, it is possible to obtain plants with a wide variety of flower colors.

You can divide lungwort bushes both in March and after it blooms (July-August). Under natural conditions, palmonaria grows successfully in one place of growth for 3–4 years, while its root system spreads strongly to the sides and begins to send out root shoots already in the mulch layer. After this, a new young specimen of lungwort is formed, while the old roots, which become exposed over time, gradually die off. Therefore, the frequency of dividing bushes is once every 3–4 years.

If this operation is carried out in March, then the plant is dug up from all sides and carefully removed from the soil. The division is carried out so that each part has a replacement kidney. After this, the roots of the division are trimmed a little, and it is planted in the prepared holes. The distance between the holes is maintained at 25–35 cm. After planting upper layer It is necessary to carefully mulch with humus so that the moisture evaporates less. Some gardeners recommend covering the planting plastic film for 5–6 days.

However, since lungwort already has heavily grown roots by summer, it easily reproduces in summer period. The rhizome of the plant grows strongly on the sides; you need to cut off part of the bush with a shovel and replant it in a new place. The distance between the parts of the lungwort should be 15–20 cm, with a depth of 3–4 cm.

Freshly collected seeds need to be placed in the soil (lungwort variety) or they can be spread by ants. After the seedlings grow up, they are picked so that the distance between the plants is 5–8 cm. If the seedlings were found in other places, then they are simply planted and cared for as usual.

Difficulties in caring for lungwort: pest and disease control

Although this representative of the flora has practically no weak points, there are still troubles. When the lungwort variety is quite old, it can be affected by powdery mildew. This mainly occurs due to lack of moisture, so regular and sufficient watering plants. But sometimes the appearance of this disease is influenced by proximity to the root system powerful plants or bushes that intercept moisture - such a place is also not suitable for lungwort. In this case, a transplant to more suitable site garden where the soil is more for a long time remains in an evenly moistened state.

It is important to remember about timely mulching every year. The layer should be about 5 cm. If the variety is forest, then leaf humus is suitable for it. Mulch will help retain moisture in the substrate and resist overheating, which is an important factor for lungwort.

Prevention from powdery mildew is pruning foliage after winter at the very beginning of the growing season. Since the lungwort is the first to form flower stalks, and the old foliage is poorly preserved and has a sloppy appearance, it will not add beauty to the plant. Signs of powdery mildew infection appear immediately after the lungwort has finished blooming. At this time, it is recommended to carry out short pruning (and then burning the affected parts of the plant), which will also help young leaves to avoid infection. Then you need to spray the bushes with sulfur preparations.

As a last resort, anticipatory (preventive) spraying with fungicides is carried out at the very end of the flowering process, this will be prevention. Naturally, it is important to select varieties for cultivation and organize care.

Slugs and snails that chew on foliage are the most frequent pests lungworts. When fighting them, agrotechnical methods are used - weeding, plantings should be thinned out from neglect, and preparations such as “Thunderstorm” or “Meta” should be used.

The herbaceous stems and leaves of all varieties of lungwort contain mucus and tannins. The leaf blades of the lungwort variety (Pulmonaria obscura) contain a lot of ascorbic acid and other vitamins. They are recommended for use when preparing salads. Lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis) contains saponins and tannins. The leaves of this variety are usually added to soups and salads, as they give the dish a vermouth taste. And in England, the plant is even grown specifically as a salad crop.

The medicinal variety of lungwort has long been known to healers and traditional healers. With its help, all kinds of pulmonary diseases were treated, since the saponins and tannins included in its composition acted as an expectorant and emollient. The plant was named in connection with the Doctrine of signatures, according to which the leaves, covered with light spots, resembled human lungs. According to this doctrine, all the beneficial properties of a representative of the flora were associated with its appearance. However, today lungwort is no longer used, as more effective plants with a similar spectrum of action have appeared.

Also, with the help of other varieties of lungwort, you can cure nosebleeds and hemorrhoidal problems, bring relief from anemia and diathesis, and also eliminate inflammatory processes in the stomach and intestines, having a beneficial effect on the entire gastrointestinal tract.

Description of lungwort species

Available a large number of varieties, the most popular of them are presented here.

Lungwort (Pulmonaria villarsae) is a fairly effective, but very rare species. The plant is distinguished by its great love for warm climatic growing conditions. It can be found growing in large groups in bush thickets, which are located along mountain streams at an altitude of about 1500 meters in the mountains of Italy and San Marino (Apennines), where there are sand and gravel rifts. This includes the lands of Northern and Western Europe. The leaf blades have a length of 20 cm and a width of up to 10 cm; their surface is pubescent. It has a rather interesting color, from the very beginning in spring period The color of the leaves is green, but over time it becomes spotted. Spots of a silvery-whitish tone appear on the surface, but by mid-summer the spots completely merge and the leaf turns white and silver. Flowering occurs in early spring. A peduncle is formed, reaching a height of 45 cm, crowned with flowers of a purple-red hue.
Lungwort (Pulmonaria longifolia). The plant can reach a height of 25 cm and has very effective leaves. The shape of the leaf blade is lanceolate or lanceolate-arrow-shaped. The length reaches 20–50 cm, the width is only 6 cm. The upper side of the leaf surface is dark green and has silvery spots along it, and there is pubescence. The reverse side has a grey-green tint. This species is more resistant to the scorching rays of the sun than all others, since the surface of the leaf is more dense. The flowering process occurs in April. Blooming pink flowers are connected into inflorescences, and over time they acquire a blue color.
Red lungwort (Pulmonaria rubra) prefers to settle at an altitude of 300–1600 meters above sea level in the mountains of Hungary, Albania and Bulgaria, where subalpine beech and pine forests are common. The plant has an elongated rhizome. When blooming, bright red flowers open. The flowering process lasts a long time (from May to early June) and is quite abundant. When grown in culture, it has the ability to grow rapidly, with the average growth of the rhizome being 7–15 cm over the annual period. Due to this growth, a high-density ground cover is formed, reaching a height of 25–30 cm. The leaf blades are painted in a light green tone, there are no spots on the surface. Their shape is narrow, the length of the leaf plate can reach 15 cm with a width of 7 cm. The surface of the leaf is covered with bristles and glands. It is used in culture as a ground cover. Prefers to grow crowded, creating groups. This is the variety that differs most early flowering. There is a garden form with white David Ward flowers.
Lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis) found everywhere in an area stretching from Western Europe to Siberia. Prefers to grow in deciduous forests, on soils rich in humus. The height of this herbaceous perennial is 10–30 cm, its rhizome is black and highly branched. The stems are weak, covered with bristles in the upper part and glands in the other part. The leaf plates have a regular arrangement. Whitish spots appear on the surface. In the root zone, the leaves are heart-shaped and ovate, attached to the stems with long petioles, and begin their development after flowering. The leaves on the stems have oblong outlines and reach 16 cm in length. When flowering, buds are formed, arranged in pairs, in loose curls. The corolla has a funnel shape, there are five petals with a bend, their tone is initially red, but then it changes to lilac color. The diameter of the flower is 1.5 cm. The flowering process begins in early May and lasts 25–30 days. The plant can withstand frost down to -35 degrees. Used in culture since the 16th century. There is also a garden form with whitish-colored perianths “Alba”; there is a species in which the leaves are devoid of spots (var. imnaculata).

For more information about growing lungwort, see here:

An amazing gardener's find; This is how I would define this perennial plant with large variegated leaves.
What's so amazing about the sugar lungwort? Yes all!

We are accustomed to the fact that in most species of perennial herbaceous plants leaves appear first, and then flowers. In the lungwort, everything happens the other way around. At the beginning of May, flower stalks first appear from the ground, on which a huge number of small flowers open.

And lungwort flowers are also surprising, because they different color: turquoise and... raspberry. Lungwort blooms for a long time, throughout May. And this is especially pleasant, because in May there are not many flowering plants in the garden.
The picture of the spring garden is enlivened by bees, which flock from everywhere to taste the life-giving nectar of the lungwort, because it is a wonderful honey plant. This important property The plant is reflected in its name.

At the beginning of June, clouds of sugar lungwort flowers fade and fall off; The peduncle gradually dries out. Simultaneously with this process, another begins: its unusual leaves emerge from the ground and unfold: large, oval, dark green with white spots. A whole rosette of leaves develops, and they constitute the main beauty of the perennial.

The growth of sugar lungwort leaves and the appearance of new shoots continues throughout the season. As a result, she grows a luxurious, low, expressive bush, reminiscent of a hosta bush from afar.
Lungwort does not lose its decorative appearance throughout the garden season and goes into winter with green foliage, defying frost and snowstorms.

Growing lungwort

Sugar lungwort is an unpretentious plant. But in order to enjoy all its charm to the fullest, you should take into account its requirements.
The first and main requirement for location in the garden is. In the sun, its bush develops poorly: the leaves become smaller and turn yellow, the plant withers.

The soil for planting sugar lungwort can be any. But in nutritious soil, lungwort will reveal all its beauty to the maximum and provide high-quality planting material.

Watering too important condition the development of this perennial, especially in the heat. But watering may be infrequent, since the rosettes of large dense leaves of the lungwort retain moisture very well; especially since the bush grows in the shade.

The lungwort does not particularly need fertilizer, but for better growth and flowering it is advisable to feed the beauty 3-4 times a season.
The first time you should feed the lungwort with nitrogen fertilizer in early spring to give impetus to the development of the green mass of the plant.
I carry out the second feeding 10 days after the first. I advise you to water the lungwort with nettle infusion or something else with the addition of trace elements or.
As you know, flowering takes a lot of energy from a plant, and it needs to form powerful rosettes of leaves and new shoots. I do the third feeding after the lungwort blooms. It is necessary to cut off all faded flower stalks and give complex mineral fertilizer (nitrophoska, 1 tbsp per 10 liters of water).
The fourth feeding should be given in the fall when preparing the lungwort for winter. You should lift the leaves of the bush and sprinkle a handful of potassium and phosphorus, then add humus or peat in a layer of up to 5 cm.

It is important to know! Lungwort leaves should not be cut off in winter!
The lungwort does not need shelter: dense foliage serves as shelter for it.

Reproduction of lungwort

Lungwort reproduces well by dividing the bush both in spring and autumn.
Newly formed plants are immediately planted permanently. Before rooting, the planted lungwort section must be watered daily and covered from the sun with non-woven material.

It is not worth dividing the lungwort bush every year. I do this only when the overgrown bush begins to lose its beautiful rounded shape.

Lungwort in garden design

Lungwort – beautiful plant for the foreground of shady flower beds. The lungwort looks great near the garden, near the edge, near the rest area in the shade.

Lungwort goes well with spring-flowering and, as well as

Lungwort is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the botanical family Borageaceae. Another name found in reference books is pulmonaria. Lungwort grows naturally in Western and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Caucasus and Siberia.

The leaves are lanceolate, dark or light green, and many species have light silvery spots and pubescence. It is one of the first to bloom in early spring, and the peculiarity of the flowers is the change in color after pollination: from light pink and blue shades to lilac, blue and violet. But this plant is not yet very well known, and many flower growers are interested in the question of what kind of flower the lungwort is, planting and caring for it in open ground.

Popular varieties and types of plants with photographs

The lungwort genus includes 18 species, but due to the high degree of cross-pollination among themselves, they are often not preserved in a pure form. For the same reason no consensus about how many varieties exist at the moment. Some sources contain data on 15 species, while others report that there are many more.

The following types are considered the most popular:

Red lungwort. It has elongated rhizomes and is capable of growing up to 80-100 cm wide in a short period, forming dense clumps. One of the first to bloom, the flowers are red. Leaves are up to 25-30 cm high, narrow leaf blade with a uniform light green color. The species is winter-hardy, but in regions with very cold winters it is better to cover the plant.
Lungwort obscure. Another name is dark lungwort. This is the most common species in Eastern Europe. The height of the plant is 30 cm, the leaves are dark green, the stem is slightly ribbed, covered with stiff hairs, like the leaves. It contains pink, blue and purple flowers.
Lungwort. This is a heat-loving, rarely seen species. The plant looks very impressive: lanceolate leaves 20 cm long and 10 cm wide, pubescent, have a light green background, on which silver spots are scattered. By mid-summer, the spots merge so much that the leaf becomes almost completely silver. The peduncle is tall, up to 40-45 cm, the flowers are red-purple.
Lungwort officinalis. The species is distributed in Western Europe and Russia. This is a low plant, its height does not exceed 28-30 cm, it has dark green leaves with light spots, covered with small hard hairs. The flowers are pink-red at the beginning of flowering, then become purple.
Lungwort longifolia. This plant is low-growing, up to 25 cm high. It is distinguished by the elongated shape of the leaves; below they are gray-green in color, and on top of the leaf plate there are silver spots scattered on a dark green background. The flower is pink, then turns blue.
Lungwort is the softest. This species grows naturally in the Caucasus and Siberia. The plant is up to half a meter in height, the leaves are pubescent, light green. The inflorescences are blue-violet and lilac.
Sugar or spotted lungwort. It's evergreen, ground cover species. Behind a short time can grow into a dense carpet. It blooms profusely in spring with carmine flowers, changing color over time to lilac and violet.

Lungwort obscure

Planting a plant in open ground

Before planting lungwort on permanent place, you need to prepare the selected area: clear it of weeds, loosen the soil, and, if necessary, apply organic fertilizers. From how much attention was paid preparatory work, will depend on how quickly the plants take root, their fast growth, lush flowering.

Selection of varieties and seedlings of lungwort

When choosing a variety of lungwort, it is better for a novice gardener to choose zoned varieties, that is, adapted to the climatic conditions of a particular area. Seedlings of these varieties take root quickly and are less susceptible to disease.

Planting material can be purchased on the market from private traders, but in this case you need to be prepared for the fact that the declared variety will be different. It is more reliable to buy plants from agricultural companies or centers specializing in growing garden flowers. There you can also consult with experts on growing the selected variety of lungwort.

Seedlings should be selected that are healthy, without external damage and yellowed foliage. Plants can be in small containers or bare-rooted. In the latter case, you should pay attention to root system. It should be without signs of rot.

Lungwort seedlings must be healthy, i.e. without external damage to the foliage and its yellowing

Choosing a landing site

Lungwort is more likely shade-loving plant, because under natural conditions it grows in forests, under the canopy of trees. Therefore, it is better to plant it in shady corners of the garden or partial shade. On sunny areas Only one species feels good - the soft lungwort. In areas with stagnant water, it is better to build high ridges on which to place the plant.

In sunny places, the leaves of many lungwort species lose their bright color, the silvery spots disappear, and the main tone of the leaves becomes faded.

Selection and preparation of soil before planting

The lungwort is undemanding to soils, but the most suitable for it will be fertile loamy or sandy loam areas with an alkaline or slightly acidic reaction. The narrow-leaved species grows well on poor sandy soil, but for all others it is recommended to apply humus or other organic fertilizers.

When and how to plant

Lungwort should be planted in the spring, after frosts have ended.

Some gardeners have a question: when is it better to plant lungwort seedlings - in spring or autumn? It is better to plant lungwort in open ground in early spring, after the frosts have passed. There are no difficulties in planting technology; you need to perform the following steps:

prepare planting holes in a designated area, the distance between them is approximately 20-30 cm;
if the soil is prone to stagnation of water, place drainage made of small pebbles, crushed stone or coarse sand at the bottom of the holes;
if purchased seedlings are in containers, then carefully remove them, trying not to damage the roots;
Place the seedlings in the holes and cover them with soil without deepening the plants;
Lightly compact the soil around the bushes;
water the plantings, but do not over-water them;
It is advisable to mulch the soil around the plants, this will better retain moisture in the soil.

It must be remembered that many types of lungwort grow in width very quickly, so when planting, do not forget to leave enough space between the seedlings.

How to care for a plant

Lungwort is an undemanding plant, so it does not require much attention and special care. During the growing season, plants are fertilized, watered and, if necessary, pruned. Preparing for winter involves covering the bushes. Although many of the species are frost-resistant, it is better to cover the plants, especially varietals, as a preventive measure.

Fertilizer and feeding of lungwort

During the season, one fertilizing with complex mineral fertilizer is enough to carry out better in summer. Organic fertilizers, for example, humus, can be applied a couple of times during the growing season, scattering it under the plants.

During the growing season, it is enough to feed the lungwort only once.

Watering and mulching the soil

Lungwort prefers damp places, so you need to water it regularly, but do not allow water to stagnate, as it does not tolerate waterlogging. To keep the soil moist longer and reduce the amount of watering, mulch the soil. For this purpose, you can use leaf litter, sawdust, wood chips, humus and mature compost, and chopped grass.

Trimming

Plants are pruned in the spring, removing old and dried leaves. You must remember that you cannot break them out, as this can damage the growth point. After flowering, the inflorescences are cut off so that the varietal plants do not cross-pollinate and scatter seeds. In addition, after this procedure, young plants grow faster and better, since the plant’s energy is not used to form seeds.

Plant propagation methods

Reproduction of lungwort is not difficult, and even a novice gardener can cope with it. To propagate this plant, you can use any of the following three methods.

Dividing the bush

Dividing a bush is the easiest way to propagate a plant.

This is the simplest propagation method with which you can propagate any type of lungwort. It allows you to save everything varietal characteristics In addition, you can divide mother bushes not only in early spring, but in the summer, after the plant has flowered, and in the fall. The division should be carried out as follows:

dig up a lungwort bush and shake a little soil from the roots;
use a sharp knife to divide into several parts, but the divisions should not be too small;
It is advisable to trim the roots slightly;
plant new plants in a permanent place, while the distance between the bushes should be at least 35-40 cm;
Water the plantings and mulch the soil around them.

It is better to divide the lungwort once every three to four years. After this period, sections of the roots of old bushes die off, young shoots appear and the plant is ready for natural vegetative propagation.

The cuttings need to be buried in the soil to the same depth as the mother bush.

Rhizome segments

Medicinal, red, shaft-shaped and long-leaved lungworts reproduce well by cuttings of rhizomes. This method is usually used in the fall. Separate several sections from the rhizome so that they have a bud, with which the plant will resume its growth. Powder the sections with crushed charcoal and plant at a distance of 20 cm. The root should be deepened to 3.5-4 cm.

From seeds

Growing from seeds is rarely used, since plants obtained by this method do not retain varietal characteristics, and flowering occurs only after three years. Most often, this method is used to propagate sugar lungwort, as well as by breeders who want to get a new variety.

Seed cultivation of lungwort is rarely practiced, since the resulting plants do not retain maternal characteristics

Only fresh seeds, that is, collected in the same year, are suitable for sowing. They are sown in loose, light soil; seedlings will appear after a while. As soon as the young shoots get stronger, several leaves will appear; they must be planted at a distance of 8-10 cm from each other.

Diseases, pests and their control

Lungwort is a plant that is very resistant to diseases and most pests. But with incorrect agricultural practices or unfavorable weather conditions Still, some problems are possible. With excessive watering, even to the point of stagnation of water, or in very rainy summers, the roots may rot. Sudden temperature changes worsen the situation. Powdery mildew and various putrefactive processes appear. In such a situation, you need to remove all diseased bushes and burn them, and treat those that remain with preparations containing sulfur.

As for pests, lungwort most often suffers from slugs and snails, and this is also the reason high humidity, since these mollusks prefer damp places. To avoid planting problems, water moderately, also regularly weed and thin out plants, removing excess shoots.

Lungwort in landscape design and in combination with other plants

In landscape design, lungwort is used to create ridges and borders, mixborders, that is, flower beds of several types of flowers and ornamental shrubs.

Lungwort in landscape design can be used, for example, to decorate borders

It gets along well with other shade-tolerant plants: corydalis, heuchela, some types of saxifrage, and mountain weeds. Lungwort is ideal for a forest-style garden. The softest lungwort can grow in lighter areas, so it is possible to grow it on alpine hills.

Lungwort is an ideal plant for shady flower beds and gardens. It is unpretentious, has original leaves and flowers. Among the many species and varieties, each gardener can choose a plant suitable for his flower garden.

With the peculiarities of growing lungwort and its beneficial properties, you can get acquainted in the proposed video material. Enjoy watching!

Lungwort is one of the most unpretentious ornamental plants that takes root well and grows in the shady part of the flowerbed. The origin of the lungwort plant remains a mystery to many gardeners. A perennial herbaceous plant - a representative of the Borage family - there are 14-16 species and more than 20 hybrid varieties. It grows naturally in Asia and Eastern Siberia. Used as decorative decoration, honey plant and as a medicinal plant.

The flower is considered a sugar plant due to its high nectar content, which is where it gets its name - it is called “lungwort” or “lungwort”. In the scientific world - “pulmonalis”, which means “lung or pulmonary”. The name was given for a reason, but for its medicinal properties that help cure pulmonary diseases.

Lungwort: photo and description

In the spring, as soon as the snow melts in the fields, the lungwort flower appears. It is considered a perennial primrose. The height of the plant does not exceed 50-70 cm. The stem is light green with brown coating, erect with slight branching, the surface of the stem is covered with down.

The leaves are lanceolate, oval or elongated, dark green with a light vein in the middle, with reverse side the leaves are purple or brown, some varieties have silver spots on the surface. Inflorescences are collected in panicles; one inflorescence can contain up to 10-15 flowers Pink colour, eventually changing to violet-blue. The shape of the flower resembles a corolla or a small bell. The change in shade is associated with the presence of a plant substance - anthocyanin, which is responsible for the acidity of the plant. Pink petals contain higher amounts of acid, while mature blue and purple flowers contain less acid.

After pollination and shedding of flowers, seeds are formed that resemble a sickle-shaped single-seeded bean, which breaks into 2 parts and attracts ants.

Lungwort: varieties

In nature, there are about 16 species of lungwort and 20 varieties, we will not list all of them, but will consider the most popular ones (their descriptions).

A perennial plant that pleases with its flowering before all other varieties. It blooms with red, bell-shaped flowers with yellow stamens. It blooms for about a month from May to June. The leaves are green, without spots or inclusions; there must be fluffy bristles on the surface of the leaves and stem. In gardens it grows very quickly and well, forming dense thickets. The bushes grow up to 30 cm in height. The variety is characterized by red and white flowers. Under natural conditions, it is most often found in mountainous areas and forests of Bulgaria, Hungary, and Albania. Does not require maintenance. The photo is presented below.

A rare species with a spectacular appearance, it grows in Italy, Europe, loves warm subtropical and temperate climate. It takes root well on gravel and sandy soils, near rivers, mountains, and in forests. It usually blooms in early spring, the height of the stem reaches 45 cm, the inflorescence is dense, bell-shaped, and purple-red in color. The leaves are large, green with silver inclusions; by mid-summer the color becomes uniform - silver.

Longleaf Lungwort

Ornamental plant with unusual leaves reaches 25 cm in height and looks impressive. The leaves are lanceolate, large up to 50 cm, dense, dark green in color with a scattering of silver spots. The stem is bristly. It begins to bloom in April with soft pink flowers, which over time acquire a blue or blue tint. The variety is resistant to the sun and thrives in both open and shaded flower beds.

Lungwort officinalis

A rare variety that is listed in the Red Book and is under protection. In nature, it prefers to grow in deciduous forests with rich soil. Distributed throughout Europe and to Siberia. The height of the plant is from 10 to 30 cm. Despite the weak stems, the flower has a strong root system that grows abundantly. The leaves are dark green with white spots, alternate, up to 16 cm long. The abundant development of leaves begins after the plant blooms, and it begins to bloom in early May and lasts up to 30 days.

The buds are paired, are in curls, the flowers are funnel-shaped, at the beginning of flowering they are red, and then the shade changes to purple. Lungwort is very hardy and frost-resistant, can survive severe frosts down to -35 0 C. There is a variety of lungwort whose flowers are white and the leaves are completely green, without spots, as shown in the photo.

A 50-centimeter flower with dense and dense bushes blooms in April bright pink flowers and attracts the first bees and butterflies.

During the flowering period, the plant is unusually beautiful, with lilac, pink, blue, and violet flowers at the same time on high stems. No other plant has this ability. In addition, lungwort tends to repeat flowering in August-September.

Sugar lungwort

Dwarf ground cover variety, densely fills the clearing and blooms with alternating bell buds. The slender stem is surrounded by original green leaves with a pattern of white streaks and spots. Loves shade and partial shade. Blooms in spring.

Lungwort: varieties

Growing

For thick spring bloom and decorative appearance of leaves, lungwort needs care, a properly selected place and moderate watering. The honey flower can be grown in the garden, at the dacha, to fill the garden area in shaded areas, and even to decorate the border in the garden. The plant is perennial and absolutely unpretentious; it can grow in one place for up to 35 years!

Selecting a location. In order for the flower to feel comfortable and bloom, it is planted near houses, under trees, shrubs and in a shaded, cool place. At making the right choice places the flowers will be bright, thick and will not lose their decorative effect.
The soil. Do not forget about the wild growth of the species, because it grows in forests, mountains, near rivers and their soil composition suits it. The soil should be sandy loam, slightly acidic, loamy and alkaline, rich in humus.
Top dressing. During the period of growth and flowering, any flower needs strength and energy. All this can be achieved with the help of fertilizers and complex compounds. To thicken the leaf cover, add mineral fertilizers diluted in water, chicken, cow or horse manure, fermented in advance and diluted in water in a ratio of 1:25, under the roots. Leaves and faded flowers are used as mulch.

Reproduction and planting, care

Lungwort breeds seeds and division of roots. When planted with seeds, the plant loses some varietal qualities and decorative properties. To do this, select ripe seeds and bury them in mulched, fertilized soil. When the seedlings grow up, they pick and remove dense shoots. Excellent helpers in planting, the seeds are ants, who take away the fragrant honey seeds lungwort to other areas, where it germinates.

Dividing the roots makes the growing process much easier; moreover, all the qualities of the variety are preserved, the seedling takes root quickly and suffers less.

Transplantation is carried out in early spring or autumn after flowering.. To do this, the bushes are dug up, cleared of soil and the roots are divided into several parts. Planted in fertilized prepared soil. The distance between the holes should be at least 25 cm. When planting a seedling, you can use drainage to avoid stagnation of water. The main condition for care during transplantation is watering for the first 2-3 weeks. To preserve moisture in open and sunny meadows, apply mulch from old leaves under the roots.

Care. There are no particular difficulties or anything supernatural in caring for a honey beauty. It's simple, all you need is:

Water the plant, it likes moderate watering, especially during the growing season;
Fertilize, also during flowering and growth;
Remove weeds and grasses;
Loosen the soil, preventing the soil from drying out and cracking in the heat;
Protect from pests and diseases;
Apply at the root and leave it on winter period, protecting the roots from frost.

If all the requirements are met, your multi-colored beauty will look beautiful, bloom luxuriantly and have thick foliage.

Pests and diseases

The medicinal variety may be susceptible to damage powdery mildew. It is removed with special sulfur-based preparations, and severely damaged bushes are cut off and burned.

Tender leaves and stems are a favorite delicacy slugs. Their presence is reduced by simple agricultural techniques: removing weeds and thinning the planting area.

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, in certain conditions- 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. Russian name The flower is associated with a 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 in 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

ABOUT medicinal properties plants make up legends. 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 plantain or Kalanchoe leaves. medicinal purposes buds, leaves and even roots of the plant are harvested.

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, modest forest plant from the Burachnikov 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 (20 grams of total mineral fertilizer dissolve in a bucket of water and pour this amount of solution evenly onto square meter ridges).

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 between the plants. different varieties, growing nearby, cross-pollination may occur. 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 get sick. various types 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.

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, various 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 perennial foliage remains decorative for a long time, so the modest beauty is simply perfect 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 lungwort compared to other plants used in decorative floriculture is its exceptional shade tolerance, as well as a long period vegetation with preservation 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 care

For 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 optimal mode watering. For lungwort, lungwort officinalis 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 reproduction

Lungwort is propagated by seeds and cuttings. The easiest way to propagate lungworts is vegetative. Best time for dividing bushes - 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 pests

In 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 you high costs time and effort.

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 since ancient times as medicinal plant. Some species are cultivated as garden plants, many decorative 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” (and how popular 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 of 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 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 large variety height 30 cm and diameter 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 type in middle lane 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 Lungwort and Lungwort officinalis 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 abundant flowering until the beginning of June. The listed types of lungwort are only a small part among 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 means 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 fees herbs, which can include licorice, thyme, rose hips, amaranth, strawberries, pine needles, currants, clover, acacia.