Tag: Oxford University Parks

Pulmonaria officinalis

I returned to Oxford after a week in the north. Spring had arrived in my absence. In the hedgerows of Port Meadow the blackthorns were clouds of white blossom, whilst in the University Parks, carpets of purple crocus lined the paths. I went in search of my Pulmonaria and I found it at last, hiding under the skirts of shrubs in the borders, like shy chicks beneath a hen.

Pulmonaria officinalis, or common lungwort, is so named  because the spotted leaves were said to resemble diseased lungs. In the era of sympathetic magic or the Doctrine of Signatures, depending on which side of the theological divide you found yourself, plants were believed to carry signs indicative of their usefulness. The cemeteries of Europe and beyond are littered with the results of this belief, but like many beliefs, it is highly resistant to contra-indications. It is still possible to buy a tincture of Pulmonaria officinalis for chest complaints. I pass no judgment on its efficacy.

Pulmonaria officinalis is a plant with an unusually large number of common names. Some, like Adam and Eve or Soldiers and Sailors seem to refer to the different coloured flowers borne on the same plant. I believe this is an expression of a pH change within the maturing flower from alkaline (pink) to acidic (blue), although this charming characteristic has been bred out in cultivars such as Sissinghurst White and Blue Ensign. Spotted Dog refers to the leaves, whilst most of the others have Christian associations, which I assume is indicative of its importance to the medieval monastic herbalists – note the officinalis again. An incomplete list includes, Jerusalem Sage, Bedlam (Bethlehem) Cowslip, Jerusalem Cowslip, Sage of Bethlehem, Mary’s Honeysuckle, Mary’s Tears, Lady’s Cowslip, and Lady’s Milk.

By whichever name it is known, it is most useful in the garden. It covers the ground nicely in shade and semi-shade and is hardy down to -20 Celsius. The lovely flowers in pink and blue, are a valuable early food-source for bees which start to fly once the thermometer rises above 6 degrees. The spotted leaves are pretty enough if one is not thinking of diseased lungs, although they are prone to powdery mildew in dry conditions. No matter, just cut them off and give the plant a good water, and new fresh leaves will grow.

Pulmonaria officinalis

Sarcococca hookeriana

Sweet box is a viola in the garden: it may not be the most glamorous of the instruments in the orchestra, but its depth and tone would be sorely missed if it was absent. It fills that difficult middle-section of the border, where something reliable is needed to provide texture and contrast to the showier plants around it. And, undoubtedly, it has its own virtues too. First among these are the fragrant flowers which give it the sweet of its common name. Sarcococca flowers all winter and sets small glossy berries which range in colour from red to black. These are clearly not valued by British birds as food as they often endure into the following winter, so that flowers and berries are carried together. Although its leaf is shinier and more pointed than a true box, it is a member of the same family. Visually, it can be easily overlooked. I went to the University Parks in Oxford with the express intention of photographing a specimen and I walked straight by it – my eye was caught by a fine Poncirus trifoliata on the other side of the path. The powerful, sweet scent stopped me in my tracks though, and I returned to my prize. I like to think that if anything happened to my eyesight then I will be able to enjoy with my nose alone, a garden at all times of year so long as the plants have been chosen thoughtfully. I once worked in a garden which was a visually sophisticated composition, but it contained almost no scented plants. It was like watching a film with the soundtrack turned off. As scent is the handmaiden of memory, I have only to catch a note of Sarcococca in the air and my mind fills with pictures and associations of times and places.

Sarcococca is a victim of its other virtues, virtues which make it loved by amenity landscapers and parks and gardens departments. It is often found near public toilets. It tolerates all kinds of soil, although it prefers moist and well-drained loam. It grows in all growable pH ranges of acidity and alkalinity. It is hardy down to -15 Celsius, which makes it winter-proof throughout the British Isles. It prefers shadier conditions and will survive even in dry shade, which means it will grow where fussier plants will not. Indeed, I inherited one which had been planted in full sun by a firm of garden designers, and I had to transplant it: its leaves had turned an unpleasant shade of yellow. I am pleased to report that it recovered quickly once it was tucked against a north-facing wall. It suckers, which means that it spreads and within ten years can form a clump in the range of 1.5m/5′ to 2.5m/8′ across. As it suckers, it should be possible to lift and divide it if it grows beyond its bounds, but I have never done this. I have planted it as an under-storey beneath small, delicate trees such as Amelanchier canadensis, and it has always had as much space as it can fill. The dense, evergreen foliage provides a perfect foil to the gentle cloud of tree blossom above.

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