Lungwort: Diseases and Remedies (Explained for Everyone)

NOTE: The terms Lungwort and Pulmonaria spp. are identical in this text; in reality, Pulmonaria spp. is Lungwort’s biological word.

Pulmonaria saccharata, P. angustifolia, and P. longifolia are some of the common garden plants. Lungwort is a low-growing plant with fuzzy green speckled leaves, from which early spring flowers arise on stalks as tall as 18 inches. The flowers are bell- or funnel-shaped with five petals and usually start out pink before turning to violet blue. Different flower colors can be found by species and cultivar.

This clump-forming plant is known mostly as a perennial landscape flower for shady locations that emerges and blooms when most other plants are barely poking their heads out of the ground. The appeal of the foliage makes this a valuable landscape plant because the flowers fade quickly.

Why does my Pulmonaria spp. roots have rot?

Root rot on your Lungwort (Pulmonaria spp.) can be fatal if not treated with care. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you follow our guide to keep your plant alive if the symptoms occur: Root soft and blackened.
Lungwort

Why does my Lungwort have gray mold spots?

A particular fungus that frequently affects flowers and spreads quickly is known as gray mold spots. This fungus is most likely to blame if you see any brown (or gray) spots. Don’t ignore these signs because doing so could cause your plant to die.

Our Solution

The answer is obvious once you recognize the cause of the problem. Most frequently, it results from the Pulmonaria spp. being overwatered. We strongly advise you to remove the damaged plant parts, cut off the diseased roots and leaves, and then repot your plant in a new container with sterile potting soil.

Why does my Lungwort have leaf spots?

Leaf If your plants exhibit symptoms like rapid color changes in the leaves or leaves that wilt or droop, we give you all the information you need to recognize them and rescue your plants. For owners of Lungwort, this kind of illness is among the most distressing.

Why are my Lungwort leaves turning yellow?

Yellowing leaves are arguably the most prevalent issue in the gardening world. Overwatering or a lack of nutrients are the 2 main causes of this issue.

Whether you think your plants are getting too much water, cut back on how often you water them, and take the following measures to see if they might be nutritionally deficient:

Each deficiency produces a different yellowing on the Pulmonaria spp. in question, here’s how to spot them:

  • Magnesium deficiency starts as yellow patches between leaf veins on older leaves. Veins stay green as yellow moves from the leaf center out. Leaf edges turn yellow last.
  • Another indicator of iron deficiency is yellowing between leaf veins, but young leaves on plant tops and branch tips are first affected.
  • The newest leaves are first affected by sulfur deficiency, rendering them completely yellow.
  • Potassium deficiency shows itself when leaf edges turn bright yellow, but the inner leaf stays green. Older leaves show symptoms first, and leaf edges soon turn brown.
  • A lack of nitrogen is indicated by a widespread yellowing. Older, inner leaves are the first to yellow. As the yellowing progresses, it eventually touches young leaves as well.

Our Solution

You only need to act in accordance with the symptoms listed above. You can address a potassium or nitrogen deficiency by buying a particular soil, and a gardening store consultant will be able to advise you on how to do that. Furthermore, you can also limit how frequently you water your plants.

Is my Lungwort sunburned?

You can easily tell if your Lungwort (your Pulmonaria spp.) has a sunburn. In this case, your plant will change color, starting to turn yellow or white, much like it does on us.

Sunburned

The leaves of your Lungwort can also change color in case it gets too much water or not enough light, as we saw above.

However, there is a way to tell if it is sunburn; look at the bottom of the yellow leaves, the ones that have a shaded area closer to the root, if this area stays greener, it is probably sunburned, not something else.

Why are my Lungwort leaves turning brown?

The classic sign that a plant has been overexposed to direct sunlight and sunburned is the development of browning leaves. Rest assured that while this may probably save your plant from dying, it will adversely affect its growth.

Should I leave my Pulmonaria spp. in direct sunlight?

No! If your Pulmonaria spp. (or Lungwort) has the symptoms described above, don’t leave it in direct sunlight, that’s the reason why your Lungwort is in such a state!

Our Solution

The remedy, as said in the paragraph above, is simple: just move your plant’s Lungwort out of direct sunlight. Your plant should swiftly re-grow with this strategy and appropriate watering.

Why are my Pulmonaria spp. leaves drooping or wilting ?

This typically occurs when your Pulmonaria spp. gets dehydrated. Large plants are more at risk since they naturally require more water than smaller plants.

Drooping

You may quickly determine if your Pulmonaria spp. plant needs water by under-weighing its pot; if it seems light, the soil and roots are probably fairly dry and require water.

Our Solution

If the soil in your plant’s pot is completely dry, you will need to start by moistening it so that the roots will also benefit from the water. A common mistake is to drown the Lungwort right after a dry period thinking that it needs a lot of water.

This is the case, but giving too much water at once is the best way to finish it off, you should actually water the soil normally, resuming a quiet watering rhythm.

Caring Tips for Pulmonaria spp.

Water Occasionally

Water is necessary for your plant to live, but timing and amount of watering must be balanced. Overwatering could have disastrous effects on your own name, as we already mentioned.

The best way to know if your plant needs water or not is to touch the soil, if you feel it is still wet, it is probably a good idea to wait a few more days.

Always keep temperatures stable

It’s also a good idea to keep your Pulmonaria spp. at a constant temperature, especially if it’s kept indoors. In general, at GreenShack, we suggest booking a temperature between 65 and 85 degrees F. Of course, keep your Pulmonaria spp. away from radiators, air conditioners, and other sources of hot or cold air.

Keep your Lungwort Dust-Free

This one is about houseplants. Your indoor plants’ leaves get dusty just like your furniture does. The problem is that this might prevent photosynthesis from beginning, which would result in the plants gradually losing their color.

For your Lungwort, this would be a true descent into hell, and it would also appease the pests.

To remove the dust from the leaves of your plant, take a microfiber cloth and gently rub the leaves. You can wet the cloth to make it easier to remove the dust, but never use corrosive products (such as rubbing alcohol!)

Keep drainage in mind

If you tend to overwater, you need to pay attention to your drainage, and we advise choosing a saucer and a pot with drainage holes if they are not already there.

In the meantime, if you don’t have holes in your pots, you can add volcanic rocks (or any rocks with holes) at the bottom of your pot, this way it will create a channel so that the water doesn’t stay in your skin too much (to avoid that roots start to rot!)