Pulmonaria 'Pink-a-Blue'
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Pulmonaria 'Pink-a-Blue': Pink and Blue Sharing One Stem
Pink buds open deep pink, then turn medium blue, and the plant wears both colours at once. 'Pink-a-Blue' couldn't pick a paint chip, so it bought both cans. INDECISIVE, BUT GORGEOUS.
Plant Characteristics:
- Botanical Name: Pulmonaria hybrid
- Common Name: Lungwort
- Series: A Proven WinnersÂź perennial
- Height: 41â46 cm (16â18 in)
- Spread: 56â61 cm (22â24 in)
- Flowers: Pink buds open deep pink and mature to medium blue, with both colours on the plant at once
- Bloom Time: Mid to late spring (May to June)
- Foliage: Deep green with silver speckling, attractive after the flowers fade
- Features: Rabbit resistant
Where to Plant: It's a good size for the front or middle of a shade border, for edging a woodland path, or for planting in groups under trees. It also works in containers and as a cut flower for small spring bouquets.
Companion Plants: Plant 'Pink-a-Blue' in a moist, shady bed with maroon hellebores, near-black heuchera and pink bugbane. Helleborus HGCÂź Ice N' RosesÂź Bennotta opens maroon-red flowers at 30 to 40 cm from March to May. Heuchera FOREVERÂź 'Midnight' adds near-black foliage at 30 cm. Cimicifuga 'Pink Spike' rises behind at 120 to 150 cm with fragrant pink spikes from August to October. Carex grayi adds glossy blades at 60 to 90 cm with spiky seed heads.
Plant Care: Plant it in fertile soil that drains well but stays consistently moist. It tolerates neutral to alkaline soil, which is helpful in many Ontario and Quebec gardens. Water through dry spells. Lungworts that dry out tend to look ragged and can get mildew. After blooming, cut off the spent flower stems and any tired leaves to encourage fresh foliage. Divide crowded clumps in early fall or right after flowering.
History: 'Pink-a-Blue' was bred by Hans Hansen at Walters Gardens in Zeeland, Michigan, from a self-pollinated seedling of an unreleased hybrid, and was introduced through Proven WinnersÂź. Lungworts belong to the borage family, whose flowers are known for shifting from pink to blue as they age.
Final Thoughts: Hummingbirds and bees love it, deer and rabbits don't, and the silver-speckled leaves keep looking good. WHY CHOOSE WHEN YOU CAN HAVE BOTH?