Lungwort, also known as lungwort leaf or Pulmonaria officinalis, is a natural plant that has been used around the world for a variety of respiratory ailments, including coughs, colds, bronchial detoxification and catarrhal problems. Lungwort is found in native damp habitats and coastal areas in Europe, Asia, North America, and Africa. Because it’s very sensitive to environmental toxins, the areas in which it is found are typically unpolluted old forests, and thus, the presence of lungwort is often a good indicator of an ecosystem’s health.

A Brief History of Lungwort

In the early 1600s, a theory known as the “Doctrine of Signatures” was widely accepted. Essentially the foundation of this practice was that plants resembling certain human physical attributes were believed to be beneficial to the part of the body they resembled. It was during this time that lungwort–which resembles the tissue inside the lungs–was discovered to be an…