Description and characteristic differences of lungwort, agricultural technology when growing in the garden, breeding steps, difficulties in leaving and ways to solve them, interesting facts, types. The lungwort (Pulmonaria) is a short, herbaceous perennial plant that belongs to the Boraginaceae family. This genus has from 14 to 16 varieties found in the Eurasian territories, not included in any orders. They can grow on the lands of Asia Minor and Eastern Siberia. There are currently 20 selected varieties that are used as an ornamental garden plant.
The lungwort got its scientific name thanks to the Latin word "pulmo" or "pulmonalis", which translates as "lung" or "pulmonary", respectively. Naturally, it is clear that the plant was used to cure lung diseases. However, due to the fact that this representative of the flora has melliferous properties, in the Russian language it is customary to call it "honeywort", "honeydew" or "honeydew", since it is the earliest honey plant and there is a lot of nectar in the flowers. But you can often hear the transliteration of the Latin name - "palmonaria" or "pulmonary", "pulmonary grass". All this is due to the medicinal properties of lungwort. In some regions of Russia, due to the fact that the flowers of this plant appear early enough, it is called "snowdrop".
The height of the lungwort, as a rule, does not exceed half a meter, although there are varieties in which the parameters in height can reach up to 80 cm. The rhizome is branched, rather long and has a small nodule size. The stem is mostly erect, its surface is covered with rough pubescence of hairs.
The leaf plates take lanceolate-wedge-shaped, oval or lanceolate outlines, the edge is solid, there is a sharpening at the top, pubescence is often present. Some varieties boast a silvery white spot on the leaf surface. The basal leaf plates have long petioles, and foliage begins to grow only after the flowers bloom. The leaves that form on the stems are much smaller in size, their number is small, they are sessile (there are no petioles).
The flowers of lungwort differ in structure: some species have short pistils and elongated stamens, others are deprived of this. Because of this difference, self-pollination does not occur. The flowers are finite, always formed in pairs. Interestingly, buds with petals of different tones and shades can bloom on one stem: from pale pink to dark purple. This is due to the fact that anthocyanins (plant pigments) are present in the lungwort, which are responsible for the color of flowers. When the buds have just blossomed, the concentration of acidity is so high that their color is pale pink, but then the acidity level drops, and mature flowers turn dark purple or blue.
When fruiting occurs, the fruit ripens in the form of a sickle-shaped single-seeded bean. The fruit, when fully ripe, splits into two pairs of one-seeded lobes, with a shiny and smooth surface and a nut shape. There are also fleshy bracts called arrillus, which are especially attractive to ants.
Growing lungwort in your garden: planting and care
- Lighting and selection of a landing site. It is best to choose a landing site in an area with a slight partial shade and coolness, where the pattern on the green foliage of the lungwort will show up perfectly, and the flower petals will acquire a rich color scheme. Most often it is planted under the crowns of trees or in the shade of buildings. The plant does not tolerate heat well, in a place open to direct sunlight, the foliage begins to burn and the whole general appearance of the lungwort becomes unsightly.
- The soil. "Lung grass" is a completely unpretentious plant and grows well on any substrate, therefore, it does not make any requirements, however, it must be remembered that stagnant water will negatively affect the lungwort. For example, narrow-leaved lungwort tolerates even poor sandy soils, but nevertheless, if we take into account the natural places of growth, then slightly acidic or alkaline soils, sandy loam or loamy loose soils, in which there is a sufficient amount of humus, are suitable for medunka.
- Fertilizers for lungwort. The plant will feel better if it is fed regularly during the growing and flowering seasons. When the deciduous mass is growing, it is recommended to add mineral preparations at the rate of 15–20 grams per 10 liter bucket of water. This is quite enough for 1 m2. The lungwort also responds well to fertilization with humus, as well as mulching the soil with rotted horse manure, and faded and cut flowering stems are placed on top. This layer can be up to 10 cm.
- General care. When the shoots grow strongly, they are chopped off with a shovel, so that not even a hemp remains. Foliage that has aged or deteriorated should be removed immediately, even during flowering, to avoid powdery mildew damage. But it is not recommended to pick off the leaves of the narrow-leaved lungwort variety.
- Watering. When the weather is dry and hot, you should regularly and abundantly water the honeycomb, but in this case it is necessary to take into account the soil in which the plant grows.
- Wintering. Almost all species should be mulched with peat or the remnants of peduncles, only soft and lumpy lungwort varieties should be covered with a good layer of leaves.
Steps for self-breeding lungwort
It is possible to propagate "pulmonary grass" by seeds or cuttings (dividing a heavily overgrown bush). Vegetative propagation by division allows you to keep the variety clean, but if seeds are sown, then it is possible to get plants with a variety of flower shades.
It is possible to separate the bushes of lungwort both in March and after its flowering (time of July-August). Under natural conditions, in one place of growth, palmonaria successfully grows for 3-4 years, while its root system spreads strongly to the sides and begins to sprout root shoots already in the mulching layer. After that, a new young specimen of lungwort is formed, while the old roots, which become bare over time, gradually die off. Therefore, the frequency of dividing the bushes every 3-4 years.
If this operation is carried out in March, then the plant is dug in from all sides and carefully removed from the soil. The division is carried out so that each part has a replacement kidney. After that, the roots of the delenka are cut a little, and it is planted in the prepared holes. The distance between the holes is maintained at 25–35 cm. After planting, the top layer must be carefully mulched with humus so that the moisture evaporates less. Some growers recommend covering the planting with plastic wrap for 5-6 days.
However, since the lungwort by summer already has strongly overgrown roots, it easily multiplies in the summer. The rhizome of the plant grows strongly on the sides, you need to cut off part of the bush with a shovel and transplant it to a new place. The distance between the parts of the lungwort should be 15–20 cm, with a depth of 3-4 cm.
Freshly harvested seeds must be placed in the ground (the softest variety of lungwort) or they can be spread by ants. After the seedlings grow up, they are dived so that the distance between the plants is 5–8 cm. If the seedlings were found in other places, then they are simply planted out and looked after as usual.
Difficulties in caring for lungwort: pest and disease control
Although this representative of the flora has practically no weak points, there are still troubles. When the variety of lungwort is rather old, it can be affected by powdery mildew. This is mainly due to a lack of moisture, so regular and sufficient watering of the plant is important. But sometimes the appearance of this disease is influenced by the proximity to the root system of powerful plants or shrubs that intercept moisture - such a place for lungwort is also not suitable. In this case, a transplant will be required to a more suitable area of the garden, where the soil remains uniformly moist for a longer time.
It is important to remember about timely mulching every year, the layer should be about 5 cm. If the variety is forest, then humus from foliage is suitable for it. Mulch will help to retain moisture in the substrate and resist overheating, which is an important factor for lungwort. Prevention of powdery mildew is foliage pruning after winter at the very beginning of the growing season. Since the flower stalks are the first to form in the lungwort, and the old foliage is poorly preserved and it looks sloppy, it will not add beauty to the plant. Signs of powdery mildew infection appear immediately after the lungwort has faded. At this time, it is recommended to carry out a short pruning (and then burning the affected parts of the plant), which will also help the young leaves to avoid infection. Then you need to spray the bushes with sulfur preparations.
In extreme cases, advance (preventive) spraying with fungicides is carried out at the very end of the flowering process, this will be prevention. Naturally, it is important to select varieties for cultivation and organize care.
Slugs and snails that nibble on foliage are the most common pests of lungwort. In the fight against them, agrotechnical methods are used - weeding of weeds, planting should be thinned out from neglect, use drugs such as "Thunderstorm" or "Meta".
Interesting information about lungwort
The herbaceous stems and leaves of all varieties of lungwort contain mucus and tannins. In the leaf blades of the unclear lungwort (Pulmonaria obscura) variety, there are many ascorbic acid and other vitamins. They are recommended for use in salads. Lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis) contains saponins and tannins. Leaves of this variety are usually added to soups and salads, as they give the dish the taste of vermouth. And in England, the plant is even grown specifically as a crop for salad.
The medicinal variety of lungwort has long been known to healers and folk healers. With its help, all kinds of pulmonary diseases were treated, since the saponins and tannins included in its composition acted as an expectorant and emollient. The plant was named in connection with the doctrine of signatures (Doctrina of signatures), according to which the leaves, covered with light spots, resembled human lungs. According to this teaching, all the useful properties of a representative of the flora were associated with its appearance. However, today lungwort is no longer used, since more effective plants with a similar spectrum of action have appeared.
Also, with the help of other varieties of lungwort, you can heal nosebleeds and hemorrhoidal problems, bring relief from anemia and diathesis, and also eliminate inflammatory processes in the stomach and intestines, having a beneficial effect on the entire gastrointestinal tract.
Description of the types of lungwort
There are a large number of varieties, here are the most popular ones.
- Lungwort (Pulmonaria villarsae) is a fairly effective but very rare species. The plant is distinguished by its great love for the warm climatic conditions of growth. It can be found growing in large groups in bush thickets that are located along mountain streams at an altitude of about 1,500 meters in the mountains of Italy and San Marino (Apennines), where there are sand and gravel rifts. This includes the lands of Northern and Western Europe. Leaf plates have parameters along the length of 20 cm with a width of up to 10 cm, their surface is pubescent. It has a rather interesting color. From the very beginning in the spring, the color of the leaves is green, but over time it becomes spotty. On the surface, spots of a silvery-whitish tone appear, but by the middle of summer the spots completely merge and the sheet casts white and silver. Flowering occurs in early spring. A peduncle is formed, reaching a height of 45 cm, it is crowned with flowers of a purple-red hue.
- Long-leaved lungwort (Pulmonaria longifolia). The plant can reach a height of 25 cm and has very efficient leaves. The shape of the leaf plate is lanceolate or lanceolate-arrow-shaped. The length reaches 20–50 cm, the width is only 6 cm. The upper side of the leaf surface is dark green and has silvery spots and pubescence. The reverse side casts a gray-green color scheme. This species is more resistant to the scorching rays of the sun than all the others, since the surface of the leaf is denser. The flowering process occurs in the month of April. Blooming pink flowers are combined into inflorescences, and over time they acquire a blue color.
- Red lungwort (Pulmonaria rubra) prefers to settle at an altitude of 300-1600 meters above sea level in the mountains of Hungary, Albania and Bulgaria, where subalpine beech and pine forests are common. The plant has an elongated rhizome. When blooming, bright red flowers are revealed. The flowering process takes a long time (from May to early June) and is quite abundant. When grown in culture, it has the peculiarity of growing rapidly, while the average growth of the rhizome is 7-15 cm per year. Due to this growth, a high-density above-ground cover is formed, reaching a height of 25–30 cm. The leaf plates are painted in a light green tone, there are no spots on the surface. Their shape is narrow, the length of the leaf plate can reach 15 cm with a width of 7 cm. The surface of the leaf is covered with bristles and glands. It is used in culture as a ground cover. Prefers to grow crowded, creating groups. This is the variety that is distinguished by the earliest flowering. Garden form available with David Ward white flowers.
- Lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis) is ubiquitous in the territory stretching from Western Europe to Siberia. It prefers to grow in deciduous forests, on humus-rich soils. The height of this herbaceous perennial is 10–30 cm, its rhizome is black and highly branched. Stems are weak, covered with bristles in the upper part, and glands in the other. The sheet plates have a regular arrangement. Whitish spots appear on the surface. In the root zone, leaves with a heart-ovoid shape are attached to the stems with long petioles, their development begins after flowering. The leaves on the stems have oblong outlines, up to 16 cm in length. During flowering, buds are formed, located in pairs, in loose curls. The corolla has a funnel-shaped shape, there are five petals with a bend, their tone is initially red, but then it changes to purple. In diameter, the flower is 1.5 cm. The flowering process takes place in early May and lasts 25-30 days. The plant can withstand frost down to -35 degrees. It has been used in culture since the 16th century. There is also a garden form with perianths of whitish color "Alba", there is a species in which leaves are devoid of spots (var. Imnaculata).
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