Do You Cut Back Lungwort in the Fall?

Lungwort, also known as pulmonaria, is a popular perennial plant grown for its attractive foliage and spring flowers. As the end of the growing season approaches, a common question is whether or not to cut back lungwort in the fall. The answer depends on where you live and the winter hardiness of lungwort in your climate.

An Overview of Lungwort

Lungwort is a herbaceous perennial plant in the borage family. It grows to about 12-18 inches tall and spreads slowly via rhizomes to form clumps. The oval leaves are lightly spotted giving lungwort an attractive, almost artistic look.

Flowers appear in spring on short stalks above the foliage. Blooms come in shades of blue pink, purple red and white depending on the cultivar. After flowering finishes, the plant continues growing for the rest of the season before going dormant in winter.

Lungwort thrives in the partial shade and well-drained soils It spreads slowly to naturalize over time The carefree nature and attractive attributes make lungwort a coveted garden plant.

Should You Cut Back Lungwort in Fall?

Whether or not to cut back lungwort in fall depends on if it grows as an evergreen or herbaceous perennial in your climate,

• In zones 6 and warmer, lungwort may remain evergreen through winter. Prune these plants lightly in fall to remove spent flowers and shape growth.

• In zones 5 and colder, lungwort dies back to the ground after hard frosts. Prune all growth to the ground in late fall.

Evergreen Lungwort

Lungwort grows as an evergreen perennial in mild winter climates like zones 6-9. The foliage persists over winter instead of dying back. Evergreen lungwort benefits from a light trim in fall to:

• Remove old foliage and spent flower stalks
• Shape and contain spread
• Encourage fresh new growth

Cut each plant back by about one-third its height. This maintains an attractive appearance and prevents leggy growth. Make cuts just above healthy leaves or buds.

Herbaceous Lungwort

In zones 5 and colder, lungwort acts as a herbaceous perennial. The foliage dies back completely after the first hard frost. The plants resprout from the roots each spring.

Pruning herbaceous lungwort in fall involves cutting all growth to the ground. This removes unsightly and unproductive growth just before winter dormancy. Simply use pruning shears to cut each plant back to the base.

When to Prune Lungwort in Fall

Timing the fall pruning of lungwort mainly depends on your climate:

Evergreen Lungwort

For evergreen lungwort, prune in early to mid-fall. This is while plants are still in active growth prior to winter. Cut plants back before temperatures cause foliage damage.

Herbaceous Lungwort

In cold climates, cut back lungwort anytime after it dies back in late fall or early winter. Prune before the ground freezes solid. Waiting until spring is also an option.

Why Prune Lungwort in Fall

Here are the key benefits of cutting back lungwort in fall:

• Removes dead stems, flowers, and foliage
• Encourages fresh new growth
• Keeps evergreen types tidy over winter
• Allows herbaceous types to reset for spring
• Prevents self-seeding in some cases

Trimming lungwort after flowering finishes improves appearance. It also enhances growth and flowering for the following season.

Remove Dead Growth

Like most perennials, lungwort needs deadheading after flowering. Pruning in fall takes care of cutting old flower stalks and discolored leaves. This keeps plants looking neat.

Encourage New Growth

Cutting back some of the old foliage and stems makes room for new, healthy growth. This is especially true for evergreen lungwort. Light fall pruning promotes bushy plants for winter.

Keep Evergreen Types Tidy

Evergreen lungwort can get leggy or open in the center without pruning. Trimming plants in fall helps keep them full and compact over winter.

Allow Herbaceous Types to Reset

Cutting back herbaceous lungwort removes growth that would die over winter anyway. This allows the plants to reset fresh each spring from the roots.

Prevent Self-Seeding

Lungwort can self-seed fairly easily. Cutting plants back after flowering helps reduce unwanted volunteers the following season.

How to Cut Back Lungwort in Fall

Pruning lungwort in fall takes just a few minutes for each plant. Follow best practices to avoid damage:

• Use bypass hand pruners for most pruning tasks.
• Make cuts just above healthy leaves, buds or new growth.
• Remove spent flower stalks back to the base of the plant.
• Disinfect tools before use to prevent disease transmission.
• Add trimmed growth to the compost pile or discard.

The actual technique depends on if you are pruning evergreen or herbaceous lungwort:

Evergreen Lungwort

Trim each evergreen lungwort plant back by about one-third its height. Remove more overgrown stems but avoid cutting too far into healthy growth. The end result should be an evenly reduced, attractive plant.

Herbaceous Lungwort

Simply cut all visible growth down to soil level for herbaceous lungwort. Scrape away mulch if needed to make the cuts at ground level. Remove as much of the plant as possible without damaging new buds below ground.

Lungwort Fall Care

Here are some other care tips for lungwort in fall:

• Water plants if rainfall is lacking prior to ground freeze.
• Apply a final balanced fertilizer application in early fall.
• Mulch around plants after the ground freezes to insulate roots.
• Propagate lungwort by division in early fall as needed.

Avoid excessive fertilizer which can cause growth too late into fall. Also take care not to overwater lungwort going into the colder months.

Alternatives to Fall Pruning Lungwort

While fall is the standard time to prune lungwort, you do have some flexibility:

Prune Evergreen Types in Early Spring

Pruning evergreen lungwort in early spring accomplishes the same goals of shaping plants and removing dead growth. Some gardeners delay pruning until spring to leave foliage for winter interest.

Prune Herbaceous Types in Early Spring

Herbaceous lungwort can be cut back after new growth resumes in spring. Simply remove any remaining dead growth at the start of the growing season.

Let Lungwort Self-Prune

Another option is to skip fall pruning altogether. Allow plants to self-prune by leaving the dead foliage in place over winter. New growth will emerge from below in spring. This requires little effort but plants may not look their best.

Key Takeaways

• Pruning needs vary depending on if lungwort is evergreen or herbaceous in your climate.

• Evergreen types benefit from light pruning in early to mid-fall to shape and contain plants.

• Herbaceous lungwort should be cut all the way back to the ground in late fall after dying back.

• Fall pruning improves appearance, removes dead growth, encourages fresh foliage and can help control self-seeding.

• Alternatively, pruning can be done in early spring or skipped entirely to allow self-pruning.

Timing fall pruning for lungwort correctly and using proper technique keeps this beauty looking its best year-round. With the right care, lungwort continues lighting up shady garden spots for years to come.