Pulmonaria Samurai - Lungwort

The 'Samurai' Lungwort is a superb creation that stands out for its very long sword-shaped leaves, frosted with bright silver when mature, forming a sparkling, attractive carpet almost all year round. In late spring, this bubbling ground cover comes alive with a shower of small flowers in cobalt blue maturing to bright pink, gathered in light and divinely coloured clusters. This beautiful perennial, like all lungworts, dislikes heat and drought. It forms a refined, hardy and bright decoration in shady flower beds, at the base of bushes or in damp undergrowth.

The hybrid 'Samurai' Lungwort is a French horticultural creation. It is a semi-evergreen to deciduous herbaceous perennial, belonging to the same family as borage and brunnera, the boraginaceae family. This variety is derived from the 'Majesty' variety and the botanical species Pulmonaria cevennensis, perfectly hardy and widespread in cool undergrowth in medium mountains.

The 'Samurai' variety is unique with its long and narrow foliage, green-grey at the start, then covered with a thin shiny and silvery film. Each leaf, 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6in) long, is crossed by a green central vein, and bordered by a fine green edging with tiny teeth. The plant forms a 25 to 30 cm (10 to 12in) high flowering carpet and spreads laterally without theoretical limits. In May, angular, branching stems covered with rough hairs emerge from the foliage. They bear light and pendulous clusters of small bright blue-violet tubular flowers that turn pink before fading. The creeping rhizome of lungworts produces new clumps of leaves after flowering, expanding the colony.

This lungwort is perennial and completely hardy, and is mainly used as ground cover. In winter, in well-protected areas, its foliage is often evergreen. It quickly adds a colourful touch to depleted soil under trees, bushes, along facades or north or east-facing alleys, at the base of sunless walls. This plant is a boon where few plants are willing to grow in cool climates, such as Symphytum caucasicum and the great periwinkle. It nicely fills shady flower beds and even thrives under conifers. Plant some spring bulbs that will bloom here and there with your lungwort. Also consider mixing your flower bed with ground covers that flower later, such as perennial Geranium nodosum.