Pretty in Pink Lungwort

Light Needs

Full Shade to Partial Shade

(0 - 4 Hours Of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

14-16 Inches

Mature Spread

24-28 Inches

Growing Zones

3 to 9

It’s pretty in pink and in shade. Pretty in Pink Lungwort (Pulmonaria hybrid) is a classic perennial for shady locations. In spring, rosy pink flowers appear above silvery green foliage. When flowers fade, the foliage keeps shining to make this a garden favorite. Silver speckles dot the deep green, elongated leaves. It’s also an easy-care plant that is deer and rabbit resistant but attracts bees and hummingbirds.

This shade-loving plant spreads to about 16 inches high and 28 inches around. It can land nearly anywhere in the landscape that gets some shade 4 hours a day or more. It can border sidewalks or shaded entryways, or edge garden beds. Plant a group of lungworts in the shade of a tree or home, or use them as filler in a container placed in shade. Pretty in Pink is perennial in a wide range of zones--3 through 9. The semi-evergreen plant maintains its leaf color well after blooming.

Pretty in Pink Lungwort Care

Once you find a partly or mostly shady spot for your lungwort, make sure the soil is average to fertile. The plant does best in soil that is neutral or alkaline in pH. Add organic matter like compost or peat moss to ensure the soil is rich and drains well. The plants typically do not succumb to problems with pests or diseases, but can occasionally get powdery mildew. They need little pruning, except a light spring trim of foliage to encourage new growth.

The key to caring for lungwort is consistent watering. The plants do not tolerate dry soil or drought well, but they also should not rest in consistently wet soil. Watering them with a drip system that ensures slow and consistent moisture every week to 10 days works best. They need to be watered deeply. Pretty in Pink should need little to no fertilizer. Gardeners can add one application of an all-purpose fertilizer each spring.

Pretty in Pink Lungwort Spacing

This pretty lungwort spreads along the ground and needs to be about 24 to 28 inches from other plants. The plants need some air circulation to prevent powdery mildew.