Pulmonaria Raspberry Splash - Lungwort

The Pulmonaria 'Raspberry Splash' is a variety of irresistible hybrid lungwort. Its long dark green leaves speckled with silver are semi-evergreen in winter and therefore ornamental for much of the year. They form a perfect backdrop for the early spring flowering, which blooms in clusters of small raspberry pink flowers. Gradually spreading, this very hardy perennial forms superb carpets in semi-shady and cool conditions, at the base of shrubs or in woodlands.

The hybrid Pulmonaria 'Raspberry Splash' is an herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the family Boraginaceae, which includes trees and shrubs, but is more commonly known for the multiple herbaceous species that adorn our gardens or populate our countryside and forests: Forget-me-nots, Comfrey, Brunnera, Borage, etc.
'Raspberry Splash' is a hybrid variety, derived in part from Pulmonaria officinalis, a perfectly hardy plant of European origin that is widespread in our cool woodlands. Its foliage, narrow and elongated, is pointed at the tip, while its base is directly attached to the stem without the intermediary of a petiole (a sessile leaf). Ranging from medium to dark green, the leaf surface is splashed with irregular white silver spots. Ornamental, this foliage is semi-evergreen, remaining on the plant from February to November. The plant gradually spreads, forming a clump 30 cm (12in) tall and over 40 cm (16in) wide, with a general ground-covering habit but with upright stems. From the month of March or April depending on the climate, clusters of tightly packed flowers appear at the tips of the stems. Tubular at the base, their corolla opens trumpet-like at the top, initially taking on a lovely raspberry pink colour. As they age, blue pigments develop, giving the flower a pleasing pinkish-purple hue and creating a harmonious contrast with the younger clusters. The flowering lasts for many weeks, sometimes until May, and stands out particularly well against the dark vegetation. The creeping rhizome of lungworts produces new clusters of leaves after flowering, expanding the colony.

Perennial and extremely hardy, this Pulmonaria 'Raspberry Splash' is perfect for enhancing a shaded bed, at the edge of a copse or even in woodland. You can associate it with other shade-loving perennials such as Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum odoratum) with its small white flowers arranged like a chain along gracefully arching stems. The evergreen Japanese Pachysandras with their dark green foliage are also perfectly suited to woodland conditions and easy to grow. To add volume to your scene, opt for varieties of Rodgersia, spectacular perennials with airy blooms and large leaves resembling those of the Horse Chestnut. And if you live in a region with mild winters, explore the Farfugium genus, which will seduce you with its particularly decorative and original leaves.

The name "pulmonaria" comes from the ancient theory of signatures, which held that plants resembled the diseases they were supposed to cure. In this case, it referred to pulmonary phthisis (tuberculosis), with the leaf of the common lungwort having the shape of a lung and the spots on its surface symbolizing lung alveoli.