Lungwort

Botanical Name: Pulmonaria officinalis

  Family: Boraginaceae

  Other Names: Beggar’s basket, Jerusalem cowslip, Jerusalem sage, spotted Mary

  Habitat: Shady places, woods

  Description: Perennial, hairy, up to 30cm/1ft Basal leaves white spotted Stem leaves alternate, lanceolate up to 60cm Flowers: bell shaped. Pink then turn blue tubular March-May

  Native to: Europe

Parts used: Leaves

Cultivation: Rich, moist soil in shade Plant October – March. Shady position

Propagation: By division October or March

Harvesting: Leaves: during and after flowering March and September

Actions: Anti-haemorrhagic, anti-inflammatory, astringent, demulcent, diuretic, emollient, expectorant

  Constituents: Silicic acid, tannin, saponin

Allantoin 

Flavonoids –glycosides of quercetin, kaempferol

Mucilage consisting of polysaccarides of galacturonic acid, arabinogalactans and rhamnogalactones

Combines with: Horehound white, coltsfoot, lobelia

Traditional Uses: Lungs

Skin: Cuts, wounds

Respiratory: Lungs, bronchitis, coughs, catarrh, sore throats