I always get questions on the best plants to put in shade that the deer won’t munch. So if you thought you were stuck with boring plants because you don’t have any sun in your garden- think again! We have our favorites and of the spring bloomers I love Pulmonaria, or lungwort. Just look how gorgeous it is! It flowers in spring (I’ve seen it as early as March) and has a range of pink to purple flowers. The leaves are mottled with silver spots.

Pulmonaria does best in part shade to fully shaded areas in soil that is moist but well drained. It is one of the few shade perennials that does well in full shade! It is on the lists as ‘deer proof’ (we all know the deer don’t read those lists). It will fill in nicely as a ground cover but definitely needs well drained soil since these plants are prone to rot. I’ve used these in mixed containers, on the front border of a shade garden or under a larger perennial as they are only about 10-12inches high.

Some interesting varieties are ‘EB Anderson’, ‘Trevi Fountain’ and ‘Ms Moon’.

Pulmonaria ‘Mrs Moon’

Pulmonaria ‘Trevi Fountain’