Pulmonaria 'Raspberry Splash' Flower (11/03/2012, Kew, London)
Position: Partial sun to full shade
Flowering period: Spring
Soil: Moist, well drained
Eventual Height: 40 cm
Eventual Spread: 60 cm
Hardiness: 4a – 9b
Family: Boraginaceae
Pulmonaria ‘Raspberry Splash’ is a small, spreading, semi-evergreen herbaceous perennial. Its dark green leaves are upright with rounded pale green/ silver spots, with entire leaf margins and are arranged in rosettes. Their upper surface is quite hairy. Its raspberry pink flowers are 5 petaled and lobed, with a tubular corolla, 5 stamens and are produced in small bunches on long stalks just above the foliage in spring. The fruit is a dry 1-4 seeded drupe or nutlet. The roots are rhizomes which aid the spread of this plant.
Pulmonaria ‘Raspberry Splash’, commonly known as Lungwort ‘Raspberry Splash’, is a cross between Pulmonaria ’Bertram Anderson’ and Pulmonaria ’Barfield Pink’. This variety is one of the more upright and more mildew resistant Pulmonaria.
The etymological root of the binomial name Pulmonaria is derived from the Latin pulmo ‘lungs’ in reference to its historic use.
Pulmonaria 'Raspberry Splash' (11/03/2012, Kew, London)
The landscape architect may find Pulmonaria ‘Raspberry Splash’ useful in woodland setting or as understory ground cover as it can tolerate full shade. The plant may die back in hot dry periods and will recover when the temperature falls.
Ecologically, P. ‘Raspberry Splash’ is attractive to bees, bumblebees, butterflies and pollinating insects. The leaves are eaten by the caterpillars of some moths.
P. ‘Raspberry Splash’ prefers moist, fertile, well-drained soils. It tolerates most pH of soil.
P. ‘Raspberry Splash’ requires little maintenance. Large clumps may be lifted and divided in autumn.