When do I cut back pulmonaria?

After flowering in late April or May — cut the whole plant down to 5 cm above the ground. Three reasons: (1) tidies the spent flowers; (2) triggers a fresh flush of clean spotted foliage for summer display; (3) removes the older leaves that will inevitably develop powdery mildew. Water deeply after the cut. Late summer mildew: if the regrowth gets mildewed, cut again — pulmonaria recovers from multiple hard cuts in a season.

Why do pulmonaria flowers change colour from pink to blue?

Natural pH change in the petal anthocyanins as the flower ages. Newly-opened flowers are typically pink (more acidic petal sap); older flowers turn blue (more alkaline as sap matures). Both colours often appear on the same stem at different stages — the classic two-tone effect. Bee preference: bees visit the younger pink flowers (where nectar is) and ignore the older blue ones (effectively visual signalling for pollinators).

What's the best pulmonaria for the UK?

For white-themed gardens: Sissinghurst White — classic, vigorous, heavily silver-spotted leaves, pure white flowers. For mildew-resistance: Trevi Fountain — cobalt blue flowers, vigorous, much less prone to mildew than older cultivars. For silver foliage: Diana Clare — almost entirely silver leaves, dramatic. For pure blue: Blue Ensign — no pink phase, deep blue throughout. For a first pulmonaria, Trevi Fountain for reliability.

Why are my pulmonaria leaves covered in white powder?

Powdery mildew — the main UK pulmonaria disease. Three causes: drought stress, full sun, age of foliage. Treatment: cut the whole plant down to 5 cm — fresh regrowth is usually mildew-free. Prevention going forward: (1) move to a shadier position if currently too sunny; (2) mulch annually with leaf-mould and water deeply in dry spells; (3) replace with mildew-resistant cultivars (Trevi Fountain, Raspberry Splash, Excalibur) if persistent.

Will pulmonaria grow in deep shade?

Yes — one of the few flowering perennials that genuinely flourishes in deep shade. Pulmonaria thrives in north-facing borders, under deciduous trees, alongside shaded paths. Best display under deciduous trees where the plant gets spring sunlight before the canopy closes. In full shade: pulmonaria still flowers well; the silver leaf-spots are particularly striking against dark shade backgrounds.

Is pulmonaria good for wildlife?

Outstanding for early-emerging bumblebees. Pulmonaria is one of the first UK garden plants to flower (February–April) — exactly when queen bumblebees emerge from hibernation and desperately need nectar to start new colonies. A pulmonaria patch in late February attracts buff-tailed bumblebee queens, garden bumblebee queens, and a few honeybees on warmer days. The early nectar is critical for bumblebee colony survival; pulmonaria earns its garden place for this alone.

Pulmonaria / lungwort

Pulmonaria officinalis

Piantate la pulmonaria in autunno o in primavera, in condizioni di ombra parziale o totale, in un terreno che trattenga bene l’umidità: si tratta di piante perenni resistenti, coltivate per le caratteristiche foglie ovali macchiate d’argento e per i piccoli fiori a forma di campana che sbocciano rosa e diventano blu con il passare del tempo (a volte entrambi i colori sullo stesso stelo). La pulmonaria è resistente al freddo (RHS H6–H7) ed è una delle piante perenni del Regno Unito che fioriscono più precocemente, sbocciando da fine febbraio ad aprile, quando quasi nient’altro si è ancora risvegliato. I fiori costituiscono un’importante fonte precoce di nettare per le regine dei bombi appena emerse. Dopo la fioritura, potate l’intera pianta a 5 cm per favorire la crescita di un nuovo fogliame pulito: le vecchie foglie estive tendono a sviluppare muffa e a diventare logore. La varietà «Sissinghurst White» (fiori bianco puro, foglie riccamente punteggiate d’argento) è un classico dei giardini britannici. Si diffonde delicatamente tramite rizomi sotterranei; dividete le piante ogni 3–4 anni.

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