Pulm on arias

摘要

AS HERBACEOUS perennials go, pulmonarias are shirty characters. Their flowers change color from day to day. Immature leaves on bloom stalks are of one sort, while mature basal leaves are altogether different. There are the awkward transitional stages.Identities and heritage are so mixed up that even the experts can't agree. Pulmonarias can be tough to grow or altogether too easy, self-sowing with abandon. They are usually disdained by deer but loved by slugs. Gardeners I spoke with were emphatically divided in their opinions. Many said they couldn't get enough pulmonarias; others, who once had a similar yen, had ripped them all out in frustration. For such a demure plant, it certainly stirs up passion in gardeners.