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Pulmonaria is a good choice
By Margie Lachman

One of my favorites plants, Pulmonaria, is showing buds that will open any day. This is a favorite of hummingbirds and a great nectar source for bees!

It is an easy plant that comes up reliably every winter—even in a spot that is very wet at times from our heavy rain—yet it tolerates dry areas also. The drier areas may cause dormancy in summer. The perfect spot would have rich well-draining soil but this lovely plant is not fussy about soil.

Add compost to the planting hole if your soil is heavy clay. A part shade place is first choice although mine get plenty of sun and don’t seem to suffer from it. I planted a variety called Mrs. Moon years ago and every winter its silver-spotted hairy leaves appear in February. One of its charms is the slugs don’t seem to be attracted to it. I have tried other silver spotted pulmonaria that were eaten by those ravenous critters. (The more silver the leaves, the more the slugs loved them!)

The flowers are bright pink when they open and turn blue as they age, making a lovely display for weeks. The first foliage is of modest size and can be removed after the plant blooms. New foliage will emerge that is twice as large, making a great ground cover to suppress weeds.

Pulmonaria is about 10 to 12 inches tall and will gently spread to about 24 inches. It is a perfect plant for edging a bed and is a reliable perennial that will last for years.

Questions? Email me at margierose@gmail.com or call 503-645-2994

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