Prunella vulgaris Seeds | Self-heal
LATIN NAME: Prunella vulgaris
COMMON NAME: Self-Heal
Plant Profile
Known to gardeners as Self-Heal, Prunella vulgaris is a perennial in the mint family. Self-heal holds its dense, short, purple flower spikes among oval leaves, and creeping stems spread low clumps. It is a plant of open, sunny to lightly shaded, deep, moist, well-drained ground. During flowering it gives bees and other insects a dependable food source. Taken as a whole, it is a plant that repays a little attention many times over.
Science & Biotechnology
The species features in the wider study of the mint family, and its traits make it a useful subject for work on germination biology, cultivation and ornamental selection. In practice, its long garden history means the grower inherits a plant of known and dependable habits.
Uses & Benefits
In the garden, Self-Heal earns its place in borders, containers and mixed plantings, and it also rewards growers who raise plants for cutting, drying or kitchen use. It is a fine, quiet plant of open, sunny to lightly shaded, deep, moist, well-drained garden. Give young plants light shade and moist soil, and short spikes will come in second season. To grow self-heal from seed, sow small, brown seeds across surface of pot of fine, gritty soil, without covering them, keep pot in a bright, open spot and water gently, then set young plants out in open ground. In later seasons it demands little more than an appreciative eye.
Self-heal, Xia Ku Cao, is a classical Chinese cooling herb for liver fire and swelling, brewed in summer herbal teas across Asia; its rosmarinic acid and polysaccharides are studied for immune and antiviral activity, and it is a charming lawn wildflower.
Growing from Seed
Seed is the natural starting point for Self-Heal, and the process is uncomplicated. Sow on the surface of a gritty, well-drained mix, cover lightly with fine compost, and maintain gentle, even moisture in a sunny position. Transplant the sturdiest seedlings to their permanent spots and let them develop without disturbance.
Our Take
Self-Heal earns its space through character rather than fuss. Among the Prunella group, it is one of the more distinctive species in cultivation. The only critical period is germination, when the compost must stay evenly moist.
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