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Pulmonaria officinalis

Common name:	Lungwort	Family:	Boraginaceae
Author:	L.	Botanical references:	17, 200
Synonyms:	Pulmonaria maculata (Dietr.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	Europe. Naturalized in Britain.
Habitat:	Moist grasslands, damp woods and hedgerows in Britain, avoiding acid soils[13, 17, 244]. Usually found on limestone[200].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	3	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	3

Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Adi Cigerotu [E], Common Lungwort [H,P], Gevlekt Longkruid [D], Jerusalem Cowslip [H], Jerusalem Sage [H], Lungwort [E,H], Pulmonaria [E], Sage Of Bethlem [H],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	officinalis = sold as an herb;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Lamiales. Borage family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Europe; Spain; Turkey

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen perennial growing to 0.3m by 0.3m . It is hardy to zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from March to May, and the seeds ripen from May to June. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees and flies. It is noted for attracting wildlife. We rate it 3/5 for edibility and 3/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) or semi-shade (light woodland). It requires moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Hedgerow, Woodland, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Deep Shade, Ground Cover.

Edible Uses

Leaves.

Leaves - raw or cooked[2, 7, 8, 9, 105]. They can be added to salads or used as a potherb[183]. A fairly bland flavour but the leaves are low in fibre and make an acceptable addition to mixed salads, though their mucilaginous and slightly hairy texture make them less acceptable when eaten on their own[K]. The young leaves make a palatable cooked vegetable[244], though we have found the texture to be somewhat slimy[K].
The plant is an ingredient of the drink Vermouth[244].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Astringent; Demulcent; Diaphoretic; Diuretic; Emollient; Expectorant; Homeopathy; Ophthalmic; Resolvent.

Lungwort has a high mucilage content and this makes it useful in the treatment of chest conditions, being of particular benefit in cases of chronic bronchitis[254]. It combines well with other herbs such as coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) in the treatment of chronic coughs including whooping cough and can also be taken to treat asthma[254].
The leaves and flowering shoots are astringent, demulcent, diaphoretic, diuretic, emollient, mildly expectorant and resolvent[4, 7, 9, 21, 165]. They are often used for their healing effect in pulmonary complaints[4] and their mucilaginous nature makes them beneficial in treating sore throats[244]. The leaves can also be used externally to stop bleeding[254]. They are harvested in the spring and dried for later use[7].
A distilled water made from the plant is an effective eyewash for tired eyes[7].
A homeopathic remedy is made from the plant[9]. It is used in the treatment of bronchitis, coughs and diarrhoea[9].

We have a more details factsheet on the history and medicinal use of this plant. Email webmaster@pfaf.org for details.

Other Uses

Ground cover.

A tolerant and slow growing ground cover plant for open woodland and border edges[197, 200]. Plants should be spaced about 50cm apart each way[208].

Cultivation details

Grows well in any moderately good soil including heavy clay soils[1, 31]. Prefers full to part shade in a moist humus rich soil[200]. Succeeds in the sunless shade of buildings[200]. Plants growing in shady positions tolerate drought if the soil is rich in humus[190]. The leaves tend to wilt in hot weather when the plant is grown in full sun[190].
Hardy to about -20°c[187].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer and rabbits[233].
A valuable early nectar source for bees[200].
There are several named forms, selected for their ornamental value[233].
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[200].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Division in spring or autumn or after flowering in early summer if the soil is not too dry[200]. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.

Cultivars

'': There are some named forms, selected for their ornamental value. Since we know of no forms that have been selected for their useful properties, we have not listed any cultivars here and in general, unless you require the specific ornamental properties of a cultivar, we recommend you grow the species rather than any cultivars.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

PFAF Web Pages

This plant is mentioned in the following web pages

Web References

Details of Medicinal Uses, Habitats, etc. in M. Grieve A Modern Herbal (1931) [4]
[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for pulmonaria officinalis (a possible synonym).

[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures

References for the family Boraginaceae.

[CHINA] Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[7] Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5
Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.

[8] Ceres. Free for All. Thorsons Publishers 1977 ISBN 0-7225-0445-4
Edible wild plants in Britain. Small booklet, nothing special.

[9] Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981 ISBN 0-600-37216-2
Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.

[13] Triska. Dr. Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn 1975 ISBN 0-600-33545-3
Very interesting reading, giving some details of plant uses and quite a lot of folk-lore.

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[21] Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983 ISBN 0-553-23827-2
Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.

[31] Brown. Shade Plants for Garden and Woodland.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[165] Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
An excellent small herbal.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[187] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991 ISBN 0-330-30936-9
Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.

[190] Chatto. B. The Dry Garden. Dent 1982 ISBN 0460045512
A good list of drought resistant plants with details on how to grow them.

[197] Royal Horticultural Society. Ground Cover Plants. Cassells. 1989 ISBN 0-304-31089-1
A handy little booklet from the R.H.S.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[208] Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 1990 ISBN 0-460-12609-1
An excellent detailled book on the subject, very comprehensive.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

[244] Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs Pan Books Ltd. London. 1990 ISBN 0-330-30725-8
Deals with all types of herbs including medicinal, culinary, scented and dye plants. Excellent photographs with quite good information on each plant.

[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.

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Bibliography

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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