Plant of the Month: February

Pulmonaria rubra 'Bowles' Red' Common name: Lungwort Family: Boraginaceae Vital statistics Height and spread: Up to 40cm x 90cm (16in x 36in). Form: Evergreen perennial. Soil: Moist, but not waterlogged, fertile and humus-rich. Aspect: Full or partial shade. Hardiness:   Fully hardy.

Pulmonaria rubra 'Bowles' Red' @ Harlow Carr

From the Entrance to the gardens turn right going towards the main borders. Go down the main borders to the bridge, cross the bridge and Pulmonaria rubra 'Bowles' Red' is in the bed on the right hand side underneath the holly tree.

Pulmonaria

This is a genus of about 18 species, from Europe and Asia, of deciduous or evergreen, low-growing perennials with spreading rhizomes. Habitats range from mountains and sub-alpine woodland to the banks of streams and the soil can be acid or alkaline.

Pulmonaria comes from the Latin pulmo, the lung. According to the Doctrine of Signatures, the plant was considered to be an effective remedy for diseases of the lung because the spotted leaves of most species were supposed to resemble diseased lungs.

Pulmonarias are grown for their early flowers and attractively spotted leaves. They are good ground cover for a shady area and can be grown in woodland, the front of a shrub border or in a wild garden. They are attractive to bees.

The leaves are simple, basal, ovate to elliptic or oblong, hairy and often spotted with white or silver. The few stem leaves are smaller and stalkless. The leaves that develop after flowering have the best markings.

Flowers are borne in terminal cymes and may be pink, red, violet, purple, blue or white. They are funnel-shaped, 5-10mm (0.25-0.5in) across with 5 petals.

Pulmonaria rubra

This species, found in South East Europe, is a clump-forming, rhizomatous, evergreen perennial with elliptic, unspotted, bright green matt leaves up to 60cm (24in) long.

The flowers are tubular and 5 lobed, brick-red to salmon-red and borne over a long period from late winter to early spring.

'Bowles' Red', developed by Edward Bowles, has coral-red flowers and leaves faintly spotted pale green. It grows to 30cm (12in) and is similar to 'Redstart'.

'Redstart' has coral-red flowers and is often the first Pulmonaria to flower in midwinter. 'Barfield Pink' has pink and white striped flowers and grows up to a height of 30cm (12in). var. albocorollata syn. alba has white flowers and 'David Ward' has white-variegated, sage-green leaves with cream margins and coral-red flowers. Both reach a height of 30cm (12in).

AGM

The RHS Floral A Committee awarded Pulmonaria rubra an Award of Garden Merit and described it as: Clump-forming herbaceous perennial to 40cm, with light green, unspotted leaves and short leafy stems bearing clusters of coral-red flowers.

Cultivation

Grow in humus-rich, fertile, moist but not waterlogged soil in full or partial shade.

Remove old leaves after flowering and divide every 3-5 years.

Powdery mildew may be a problem in dry conditions and slugs and snails may damage new growth.

Propagation

Sow seed in containers outdoors as soon as ripe. However, plants raised from seed of garden specimens often fail to come true.

Divide plants in autumn or after flowering or take root cuttings in mid-winter.