Pulmonaria Twinkle Toes - Lungwort

The Pulmonaria 'Twinkle Toes' is a recent selection of lungwort, unique with its silver-spotted foliage. In spring, its vegetation is adorned with very pretty light periwinkle blue flowers that turn pink. The lungwort is a charming little ground cover perennial that brightens up shady areas it loves. This particularly refined variety will also be showcased in a floral composition on the terrace.

The hybrid lungwort 'Twinkle Toes' is an herbaceous perennial belonging to the same family as borage and brunneras, the Boraginaceae family. This variety is derived from, among others, the Pulmonaria officinalis, a perfectly hardy European plant that is widespread in our cool understories.

The 'Twinkle Toes' variety catches the eye with its refined foliage, all speckled with silver-grey on a dark green background, as well as its abundant and delicate flowering, which changes colour as it matures, as is the case with certain comfreys. This rhizomatous plant forms a carpet-like clump of 30-35 cm (12-14in) in height when in flower and spreads laterally without theoretical limits. The undulate leaves are villous, those at the base are lanceolate, pointed at the top and rounded at the base, while those of the flowering stems are alternate, elongated, and without petioles. In April, angular, branching, and rough-haired flowering stems emerge from the foliage. They bear pendulous cymes of small, open bell-shaped flowers in a lovely periwinkle blue, turning pink. The creeping rhizome of lungworts produces new tufts of leaves after flowering, expanding the colony.

Completely hardy, this 'Twinkle Toes' lungwort finds its main use as a ground cover in cool, humus-rich, well-drained soils. It also tolerates dry shade and can live at the base of conifers. In winter, in well-protected areas, its foliage is more or less evergreen. It beautifies the ground under trees, bushes, along facades or north or east-facing paths, at the base of sunless walls. This plant advantageously fills shade beds, just like hostas and ferns. Plant some spring bulbs with your lungwort that will bloom here and there. Also, consider variegating your bed with ground covers that bloom later, such as the perennial Geranium nodosum collection.