Lungwort

Family. Boraginaceae.

Origin. Wild lungworts are found in various regions of Europe.

Description. Perennial herbaceous plants with thick, creeping rhizomes covered with brown scales.

Lungworts has erect, pubescent shoots, on which soft, fluffy, green leaves are alternately located.

The structure and size of the leaves will be different depending on the height - the lower the leaf blades are located, the longer their petioles, the upper leaves are sessile. The dimensions of the leaf plates decrease towards the tops of the shoots; if the lower ones can reach a length of 60 cm, then the length of the upper ones often does not exceed 5 cm.

At the tops of the stems there are small inflorescences with purple, fluffy buds. Often, after flowering, a leaf rosette forms at the base of the flower. 

The flowers are bell-shaped, with fused petals, pink, red, blue or purple, reaching a diameter of 2 - 3 cm, collected in unique inflorescences - paired apical curls. The buds are male and female, and plants require cross-pollination to form seeds.

A distinctive feature of plants is that the same inflorescence can contain flowers of different shades, which will depend on the acidity level of the plant juice. Only the blossoming buds can be colored pink (they contain more acidic juice), but as they fade they will turn blue.

After flowering, green boxes with small black, glossy seeds are formed.

The plant is used both as a flowering plant and as an ornamental foliage plant, since many modern varieties have attractive variegated leaves with white spots and streaks on the surface.

The genus Lungworts includes about 15 plant species. 

Height. Depending on the species and growing conditions, it can reach a height of 10 - 80 cm.

When it blooms

The flowering period begins in early spring, when many plants have not even acquired leaves yet. The first buds can open as early as April, late species bloom in May.

If flowering in the spring months was interrupted by the onset of intense heat, then a second wave of buds may appear in the fall.

Flowering in a well-lit place will occur earlier, but will be shorter. When grown in partial shade, flowering will occur later, but will be longer lasting, and the buds will be brighter.

Planting and care

To grow a flower, you need a semi-shaded or even shady area of ​​the garden - the lungwort does not like open sunny spaces - the flowering period in such conditions is significantly reduced, and the buds simply fade in the sun. Areas that receive morning sunlight will be preferable.

Since the development and flowering of lungwort occurs early in the spring, you can use the trunk circles of shrubs and trees for growing.

If the flower is planted in a well-lit place, then timely watering will help it survive a large amount of sunlight.

The flower does not like acidic soil - flowering in such conditions is inhibited - soil with a reaction close to neutral or slightly alkaline is preferable. Before planting, crushed chalk, eggshells, wood ash or a little slaked lime are mixed into the acidic substrate. The optimal pH level will be 7.0 - 7.5.

The plants do not tolerate high air temperatures, they should not be planted on the southern side of buildings.

When choosing a place, you should also consider the ability of the bush to spread by underground rhizomes or self-seeding.

How and when to plant

Planting seedlings in open ground is carried out in the spring - in May, when the threat of the return of night frosts is minimal. You can sow the seeds in early spring, but such plants will flower later.

Using seedlings, you can also plant lungwort at the beginning of autumn, so that the bushes have time to properly grow roots before the first night frosts.

It is better to postpone planting until the evening or in cloudy and cool weather. The soil is thoroughly loosened and weeds are removed from the site. Lungworts loves nutritious and well-drained soils that easily allow melt and rain moisture to pass through. 

To create the soil of the desired structure, river sand is mixed in, which prevents caking, and organic matter is added as additional nutrition - humus from a compost pit or well-rotted horse or cow manure. You can water the area with a weak solution of chicken manure.

Using a shovel, dig planting holes, the distance between which is maintained in accordance with the size of the plants. For low-growing species, it is enough to leave 15 - 20 cm between the bushes, while for large specimens, the distance between the holes should be 30 - 40 cm.

The depth and height of the holes should be greater than the root ball of the seedlings.

Seedlings in cups are watered abundantly a day before planting to soften the earthen lump. Planting is carried out by the transshipment method - the bushes are taken out of the cups or pots along with the lump of earth and carefully, trying not to destroy it, placed in the holes. The root system is sprinkled with soil in a circle and the surface is lightly tamped with fingertips.

Flowers should not be buried deep - after planting in open ground, they should remain at the same depth at which they were in the pots.

The seedlings are watered with warm water, and the base is mulched with mown grass or straw. Sawdust or small pieces of bark can also be used as mulch. The height of the mulch layer can reach 4 - 5 cm.

The flower does not like a large amount of nutrients - 1-2 feedings in the warm season are enough. The first feeding should be done in the spring, when the first signs of new growth appear, the second - during flowering.

Both mineral and organic substances are used for feeding.

As an organic fertilizer, the flower responds well to the use of well-rotted leaf or turf humus, as well as horse or cow manure.

The use of fresh organic matter is unacceptable - the plants will weaken, become susceptible to fungal diseases, and flowering will become less abundant.

Pruning, wintering

To maintain the external attractiveness and prevent the development and spread of diseases, it is worth promptly removing wilting flowers along with flower stalks, as well as dying old leaves.

Removing flower stalks prevents self-seeding, and also saves the energy of plants, which do not need to spend it on the formation of seeds. Such specimens can bloom again in late summer - first half of autumn.

Pruning is carried out using a sharply sharpened and sterile tool - a pruner or a garden knife. In early spring, they also try to get rid of last year's dry leaves.

Wintering in harsh conditions for most species is usually quite easy, but for some species it is worth making a shelter.

In late autumn, when night temperatures drop below zero, the area is mulched with humus. Plants are provided with additional insulation in the form of spruce branches, dry leaf litter or dry sawdust. The height of such a layer can reach 6 - 8 cm.

In early spring, as soon as the snow melts, the insulation is removed.

Transplant

If necessary, the lungwort can be transplanted to another place immediately after flowering or in September. During the period of bud formation, the flower should not be transplanted. Transplantation can be combined with division if the bush is more than 4 - 5 years old.

If there is no need for division, then the plants are transplanted together with the root ball, without destroying it. A planting hole is prepared in advance, which will be larger than the earth ball.

For transshipment, the bushes are dug in a circle, going deep under the root.

The lungwort is planted in a new place at the same depth, after planting, it is abundantly watered and covered from direct sunlight for 5-6 days.

Water and fertilize

Representatives of the genus like fairly moist soil - make sure that the soil never dries out. After flowering, reduce the frequency of watering.

Plants do not like moisture getting on pubescent shoots and leaves - it is better to water from a watering can with a long spout directly under the root.

Watering is carried out in the morning or evening - during the day, moisture will evaporate too quickly from the soil surface.

Adult specimens easily tolerate short-term drought.

Reproduction

Both seed propagation of lungwort and cuttings using segments of rhizomes are possible. The flower easily reproduces by seeds and often forms self-seeding, which can be simply transplanted. Also, if certain agricultural practices are followed, vegetative propagation is successful.

Growing from seeds

Most modern garden varieties are hybrids of several species, so when grown from seeds, the appearance of daughter bushes can be strikingly different from the mother bushes.

In the garden, lungwort can actively spread by self-seeding, and bushes can appear in different, sometimes the most unexpected places. This is due to the fact that ants love ripe seeds. As soon as the planting material spills out of the ripe seed pods, the insects try to drag it into the anthill.

Sowing can be done directly in the garden - in late April or early May. Crops are not afraid of light night frosts, and seedlings love a large amount of melt water in the soil.

Sowing seeds for seedlings can be done at home in seedling boxes - in late February or early March. Thus, by the time of planting in May, you can get strong bushes.

For sowing, drainage in the form of a small fraction of expanded clay, river pebbles or pieces of foam is placed on the bottom of boxes with drainage holes. The boxes are filled with nutritious soil, the surface of which is moistened with warm water using a spray bottle.

The seeds are sown, and the seedlings are covered with a layer of soil about 1 cm thick, then the surface of the soil is sprayed again.

When 2-3 true leaves appear on each bush, the seedlings are picked and planted in separate cups. A week after picking, they are fed with nitrogen fertilizers in a very weak concentration.

Before planting in the ground, in May, the seedling boxes are taken outside for several hours a day, hardening the seedlings. Such hardening can be carried out for 7 - 10 days with a constant increase in the time spent in the fresh air.

The first buds will adorn specimens obtained from seeds at the age of 2–3 years.

Dividing

The most common and simple way to propagate lungwort. Every 3-5 years, the bushes are dug up and divided into several parts; division helps rejuvenate the plants.

The bushes are shaken off any remaining soil, and the roots are inspected. If necessary, rotten and diseased areas are cut off, leaving only healthy tissue.

Wounds are sprinkled with crushed coal or ash for drying and disinfection.

The rhizomes are divided into several parts so that the length of each is at least 8-10 cm. At least 1 renewal bud should remain in each part of the rhizome.

Medicinal properties and contraindications

The plant contains a large number of useful substances, so lungwort is widely used in folk medicine. Thus, the juice contains certain alkaloids, anthocyanins, polyphenols, flavonoids, tannins, saponins and tannins, iron, vitamin A and ascorbic acid, as well as iodine, potassium and silicon.

Plant materials are often added to compositions and herbal teas for the treatment of pulmonary diseases, and during colds, vitamin C helps to maintain the body's immunity.

Breast preparations based on lungwort quickly cure coughs, as they have an expectorant effect. It is believed that the plant has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiseptic properties, and can stop bleeding.

The mucus contained in the shoots envelops the stomach and helps to alleviate the condition in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

In diseases of the kidneys and bladder, it is used as a diuretic, and it is also believed that medicinal raw materials based on lungwort have an antitumor effect.

Fresh green mass is crushed and applied to wounds in the form of a paste, used for many skin diseases. Decoctions help remove toxins and carcinogens from the body.

Possible allergic reactions may be a contraindication to the use of this plant, and if the dosage is exceeded, side effects such as nausea and vomiting may occur. The plant is used with caution in hypertension - it can narrow blood vessels and thicken the blood, thereby increasing blood pressure.

The collection of plants used to treat various diseases is carried out during the beginning of flowering - at this time, the above-ground part contains the highest concentration of nutrients.

The stems are cut with sharp pruners, leaving small stumps, the bases are tied with twine and hung upside down. Also, shoots and leaves can be laid out in a thin layer in a warm and constantly ventilated place.

During the drying process, the raw materials should not be exposed to direct sunlight - they can destroy most of the useful compounds.

If rhizomes are used as medicinal raw materials, their collection is postponed until autumn. The bushes are dug up and the rhizomes are cleaned of soil residues, the roots are washed with running water and placed in a special dryer, where the temperature is maintained at about 40 degrees Celsius. After complete drying, the rhizomes are crushed and stored in the same way as the green parts.

Diseases and pests

When grown in permanently flooded areas, root rot may develop.

At low air temperatures and high humidity, as well as when grown too densely, signs of powdery mildew may appear on the leaves.

Harmful insects may include slugs and snails.

Types:

Lungworts officinalis

 Plants of this species grow in Europe and are compact in size - the height of the bushes does not exceed 30 - 40 cm. The flowering period occurs at the end of April - beginning of May, the buds change their shade from pink to purple and then blue. Widely used in folk medicine.

Lungworts saccharata

 A frost-resistant plant that, when grown in the garden, can tolerate frosts down to -20 degrees Celsius. This species is distinguished by the presence of attractive white specks on the leaf blades and on its basis many forms of variegated lungworts have been bred. The height of the plants is 45 - 60 cm, flowering occurs in April - May.

Lungworts obscura

 Stocky, strong plants up to 30 cm high with very early flowering - often the buds bloom while there is still snow cover in places. The native habitat for this species is England.

Lungworts mollis

One of the tallest varieties of lungwort - plants reach a height of 50 - 70 cm and are found in Central Europe and Asia. The species has excellent tolerance to low temperatures and exposure to direct sun.

Pulmanaria angustifolia

 Compact flowering perennial 20 - 30 cm high with strong, vertical shoots and narrow, entire, green leaves. The buds are bright blue or light blue and decorate the plants in spring.

Lungworts longifolia

 A Western European species 40–60 cm high with brightly colored dark green leaves, on the surface of which small white round spots are scattered. The peduncles are low, bearing large, blue or blue buds at the tops.

Varieties and hybrids:

Hybrid lungwort Silver Bouquet

 A distinctive feature of this variety is its compact size - the height of the plants does not exceed 25 cm and very attractive leaves with a spotted, white-silver surface. During the flowering period, the plants form low flower stalks with pink buds, which turn blue as they fade. The variety is very resistant to powdery mildew.

Lungworts Cevennensis

 The height of the bushes of this variety can reach 30 - 45 cm, and the leaves are painted in a dark green shade with contrasting white spots. The bright blue buds that appear in mid-spring complete the picture.

Majeste

 Flowering perennials, the main distinguishing feature of which is silvery, almost monochromatic, long leaves. The variety is compact in size = its bushes do not exceed 15 - 30 cm in height. The buds change their color from pink to blue. 

Lungworts Moonshine

 Miniature plants 15 - 20 cm high with a very early flowering period. The leaves are dark green, quite wide, with a bright white center. The buds are initially painted pink, which changes to pale blue as they fade.

Leopard

 It is unlikely that anyone will be left indifferent by the spectacular appearance of this flowering perennial - its bushes up to 20 - 30 cm high have delicate light green leaves with small, rounded white spots on the surface. During the flowering period, which occurs in April - May, the bushes are mainly decorated with pink buds.