What Is Pulmonaria (Lungwort)? A Peruvian Respiratory Tea

August 17, 2026

Six hundred years ago, herbalists believed a plant's shape told you what it was good for. Walnuts looked like little brains, so they got prescribed for headaches. A spotted, lance-shaped leaf that resembled a diseased, mottled lung? That had to be a lung remedy. That's genuinely how lungwort, Pulmonaria officinalis, got its name and its reputation, a piece of medieval "doctrine of signatures" thinking that, in this particular case, turned out to have some real substance behind it.

We sell it as te de pulmonaria, a loose leaf herbal tea, and it's one of the quieter items in our respiratory lineup, sitting next to eucalyptus and matico without much fanfare. Here's an honest look at what it is, what it's traditionally used for, and what's actually been studied.

A Long History, Mostly Undocumented by Modern Science

Lungwort shows up in monastic herbals as far back as the 12th century, prescribed for what one old text called "windy breathing conditions." By the 16th century, European herbalists were recommending it specifically for coughs, bronchitis, and generally weakened lungs. That tradition made its way into Andean and Amazonian herbal practice over centuries of trade and cultural exchange between Europe and Peru, and today it sits on the same respiratory tea shelf as eucalyptus and matico.

The mechanism, as traditional herbalists describe it, comes down to mucilage. Lungwort leaves are high in mucilage, a slippery plant compound that coats and soothes irritated throat and airway tissue, the same way marshmallow root or slippery elm does. That's a reasonable, physically plausible explanation for why a cup might feel soothing on a scratchy throat or a nagging cough.

What we don't have is modern clinical evidence. There are no controlled human trials testing lungwort specifically for cough, bronchitis, or any other respiratory outcome. The research that does exist focuses mostly on its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties in lab settings, not on people actually drinking it for a cold. So the traditional reputation is old and consistent across centuries and cultures, but it hasn't been through the kind of trial that would let us say anything stronger than "people have used this for a very long time."

Lungwort vs. the Rest of the Respiratory Shelf

If you've browsed our respiratory teas before, you've probably already smelled eucalyptus, the sharp, menthol-forward leaf that clears a stuffy head almost on contact. Lungwort is the opposite kind of tea. There's no strong aroma, no cooling sensation, nothing that announces itself. It's a quieter, coating tea rather than an opening one, which is why some people reach for it when a cough has settled into a raw, scratchy stage that eucalyptus makes feel worse, not better. Matico, another Andean leaf on the same shelf, leans more toward general wound and inflammation support than respiratory relief specifically, so the two aren't really interchangeable despite both being labeled "traditional Peruvian herbs."

Peru imports and grows lungwort in smaller quantities than homegrown staples like matico or eucalyptus, since Pulmonaria officinalis is originally a European woodland plant. It's been cultivated and traded into South American herbal practice over a long enough stretch of time that it now reads as part of the regional tradition, even though its roots (literally and figuratively) are in European forests, not the Andes.

How It's Traditionally Brewed

Steep 1 to 2 teaspoons of the dried loose leaf in freshly boiled water for 8 to 10 minutes, covered. It brews into a mild, earthy cup, gentler and less assertive than eucalyptus, without much bitterness. Some people take it two to three times a day when dealing with a cough or chest cold, easing off once symptoms settle. It's not typically treated as a daily, indefinite supplement the way maca or moringa might be; it's more of an as-needed tea.

A Caution Worth Taking Seriously

Here's the part we won't gloss over: lungwort, like a number of plants related to borage, may contain trace pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), compounds that in larger or more prolonged doses have been linked to liver strain. It's the same caution we give for borage tea. The risk from an occasional cup during a cold is low, but it isn't zero, and it's a real reason to treat lungwort as a short-term, as-needed tea rather than something you drink year-round. Skip it if you're pregnant or nursing, and if you have existing liver issues, check with a doctor before adding it to your routine. It may also cause a mild allergic reaction, mostly rashes, in some people, so start with a small first cup rather than a full pot.

If you'd rather skip past the sourcing question around PAs and get straight to brewing, we've also written about how to brew lungwort tea the traditional way, which covers dosing and steep time in more depth. If respiratory support is what you're after generally, our respiratory support collection includes eucalyptus, matico, and our Bronquiosan blend for other options depending on what you're dealing with.

Worth Trying?

If you like the idea of a tea with real medieval pedigree, and don't mind that the modern research hasn't caught up to the folklore yet, lungwort is worth a try, especially if eucalyptus feels too intense for your taste. Just treat it the way Peruvian and European herbalists both did: as an occasional remedy for a rough week, not a permanent fixture in your cupboard.