A Flowering Perennial for Shade: ‘Diana Clare’ Pulmonaria

About 15 days ago , I had given up on arise pulmonarias ( Pulmonariaspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–8 ) in my Zone 7 garden . In 2005 , I received a 2 - in sight of pulmonaria in the mail from the Garden Writers Association . I thought about tossing it but settle to give the little thing a chance , and so I establish it . The stick to year I could not believe my eyes . Not only had it lived , but it also had quadrupled in size and was cut through with beautiful flowers . I dug around it , found the label , and became fast friends with ‘ Diana Clare ’ . I began to read up on pulmonarias and found out that ‘ Diana Clare ’ is a intercrossed ofP.longifolia(Zones 3–8 ) . This species and its hybrids are both more heat energy large-minded and more immune to powdery mould than the cultivar more commonly sell at the clip . I soon began essay outP.longifoliacultivars and hybrid .

‘ Diana Clare ’ begins its yearly show in late winter and early spring with short chaff of dark violet blossom that age to cobalt blue . The flush are followed by foresighted , beautiful , deer - resistant strappy leaves that egress with a spotted boundary line and years to pure silver . It makes a tidy clump and performs good when divided about every four or five eld in fall .

In the South , pulmonarias perform well in mottled tint or with a few hours of forenoon Lord’s Day , although deep shade can encourage powdery mould . They are middling drought kind but prefer organic , copious , moist , well - run out soil . Most grow best in Zones 3–7 , but ‘ Diana Clare ’ will thrive even on the boundary of Zone 8 . Pulmonarias depend ripe in groups or mass as a ground cover in a forest or nuance garden , and they make an effective edging plant .

Both the botanic name and the sometimes - used coarse name “ lungwort ” come from a belief among medieval herbalists that suggested the outward coming into court of a flora check its herbal virtues . Because pulmonaria ’s recognize leaves resemble a diseased lung , the plant was thought to be a cure for lung complaint . Thank goodness for forward-looking medicine !

‘Diana Clare’ pulmonaria (Pulmonaria‘Diana Clare’)

Zones:3–8Conditions : Partial specter ; average to moist , well - drained soilNative range : Garden beginning

Jason Reeves is curator of the University of Tennessee Gardens in Jackson .

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