Pulmonaria saccharata Lungwort

This is Pulmonaria saccharata, a relatively new perennial to our garden and already one of my favorites. I mean, seriously, how could you resist these pretty pink and lavender blossoms and polka-dot leaves? What’s more, this little plant stayed mostly evergreen last winter and was one of the first to bloom this spring. Pulmonaria, also known as Lungwort (a plant once used to treat pulmonary problems), does best in shade, in moist, humus rich soil. The leaves hug the ground, and the flower stalks reach heights of about 10 inches. They make excellent companions to hostas, hellebore, ferns, forget-me-nots, frittilary, trillium, bloodroot, Brunnera, bleeding heart and so forth. And although I can’t personally vouch for this, they’re supposed to be deer resistant. It took mine a few years but I think our wee little pulmonaria (that I purchased on a whim 3 springs ago) is finally large enough now that this fall I will be able to divide it and introduce those pretty flowers and spotted leaves to other shady areas of the garden.