Pulmonaria officinalis

PULMONARIA officinalis
Lungwort

____________________________________

Type:
Perennial

Height: 1' (25cm)

Flowering Time: Spring

Flower Colour: Blue, mauve, pinks

____________________________________

Botanical Classification:

Class:
Angiospermae (Angiosperms)

Subclass: Dicotyledonae (Dicotyledons)

Superorder: Asteridae (Daisy Superorder)

Order: Polemoniales (Polemonium Order)

Family: Boraginaceae (Forget-me-Not Family)

Genus: Pulmonaria (Lungwort)

Species: officinalis (medicinal)

____________________________________

Pulmonaria officinalis is a British wildflower, although it is not often found in the wild, and is usually planted in a herbaceous border or cottage garden. It is one of the earliest spring flowers, flowering with tulips and wallflowers and its smaller relative, the Forget-me-not. It has a rosette of coarse, pointed leaves covered in white blotches, and short stems holding large clusters of flowers in shades of blue, pink and mauve. It prefers shady conditions.
As both its Latin and common name imply, it has long been used as a medicinal plant. The blotched leaves were considered to resemble diseased lungs, and it was therefore used to treat throat and lung complaints.
____________________________________

Harvesting and Growing from Seed:

Germination:
Summer
Outside
Germinated in spring.

Seed Pod There is no seedpod. The seeds are held inside the calyx, and fall out when they are ripe.
Seed The seeds are shiny dark brown pips. There are four seeds from each flower.
Seedling The seedleaves are rounded, and the first true leaves are pointed and slightly fuzzy.

(You can check the meaning of any technical terms new to you in the Botany section of the site)

Back to Plant Profiles Main Page

				Germination: Summer Outside Germinated in spring.
Seed Pod There is no seedpod. The seeds are held inside the calyx, and fall out when they are ripe. Seed The seeds are shiny dark brown pips. There are four seeds from each flower. Seedling The seedleaves are rounded, and the first true leaves are pointed and slightly fuzzy.