I am sure you found that later in the season, when you dug up pulmonaria, they immediately wilted. Something that would instill fear in the unseasoned gardener. But never fear, they always come back.
Rick

I've got one I want to divide. It's about 3-4 years old, in a long wooden planter. It's my first pulmonaria, so I don't even know what the root system looks like.

I'm used to using a knife to divide plants, so that's no problem (I keep a very long butcher knife in with my garden tools). I just want to know if one pulmonaria will yield just two new plants, or can I cut it in quarters if the rootball is a good size?

Daphne in Tacoma

Hey- my pulmonarias seem to be HUGE one year- and then tiny the next year or 2 and then HUGE again- It is like they have a mind of their own and do not get gradually larger every year like other plants...
Does any one else experience this?
Thanks-
Julie

Hey Julie,

Yes, I have had the same experience with Pulmonaria. One year large and the next small. One I had in a spot for years and was very large isn't hardly there this year and others are just the same as ever. I guess they are much like people, each one different....
Later,
Lynn

A few misc. comments I hope some will find helpful.

Even if you do wear gloves, all gardeners should have a tetanus shot every five years, that's twice as frequent as the gen'l pop. because the bacteria can be present in soil and us gardeners are potentially exposed so much more. End of PSA.

As for dividing plants...
* make sure they have water 1-3 days before, depending on soil heaviness
* trim back stalks/leaves, cut off ALL flower buds/heads, seedheads
* use a sharp shovel to divide the base of the plant WHILE IT'S STILL IN THE GROUND--you can get exactly the cut you want and the plant's not going to be able to slip aside!
* dig up the piece you want to move, fill the resulting hole in, and water