It’s Monday! Let’s meet a plant, shall we??

This week’s plant was inspired by a visit to my partner’s mother’s garden. (For those of you that know Ilze, you know that she has a lovely yard full of botanical treasures!) Her Pulmonaria is already blooming profusely, so that’s the plant we’re meeting today.

Pulmonaria (also known as Lungwort or Bethlehem Sage) is an early bloomer with small flowers that range from pink to purple-blue to white, with every shade and tint represented from super-saturated to pastel. Not to be outdone, the foliage is equally interesting, with silvery white spotting that can rival Hostas for interest.

Site these in a shade or woodland garden, or at least somewhere that’s protected from the hottest summer sun. Once established, they are somewhat drought-tolerant, although they prefer consistently moist soils. Expect plants to grow 6-12″ high and 18″ wide.

There are numerous cultivars available, such as ‘Raspberry Splash’ (bright pink/purple with spotted leaves), ‘Trevi Fountain’ (blue-purple with spotted leaves) and ‘Moonshine’ (more pastel with almost silver leaves). All varieties are native to Europe or Asia.

I like this plant because of its early bright color and attractive foliage. It’s also animal-resistant and makes a lovely groundcover or low edging plant.

Things to watch out for include leaf scorch in full sun and powdery mildew in excessively shady conditions. Newer cultivars are much more disease-resistant, and you can treat plants with neem oil if needed. They can be short-lived, but dividing and transplanting every 3 years or allowing them to set seed will help keep them going.