Leaf
Yoan Martin, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Common lungwort
Pulmonaria officinalis L.
Also known as: Lungwort, Jerusalem cowslip, Spotted lungwort
Family: Boraginaceae
20 to 30 cm tall
Woodland understorey, shaded gardens, cool soils
Flowering: March – May
Part shade
Shade
Hardy to -25°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Its flowers change colour, from pink to blue, as they age on the same stem.
🍃 Leaves
Ovate, rough, spotted with white, in a basal rosette
🌸 Flowers
Small bells changing from pink to blue-violet as they age
🍎 Fruits
Small dry achenes
🪵 Bark
Low clump forming an excellent ground cover in spring
🗺️ Distribution
Europe; common in open woods and shaded hedgerows in France.
🐝 Value for pollinators
Flowers changing from pink to blue with age, very early, an important resource for the first bumblebees of spring.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Shaded beds, woodland gardens, ground cover; white-spotted foliage decorative all season.
⚠️ Possible toxicity
No notable known toxicity.
🌿 Other Boraginaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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