PlantFiles: Self-Heal, Selfheal, Heal All
Prunella vulgaris

I'm in forming a small colony..not invasive though,i have had it about 3 years and haven't seen it sprading anyway besides where I planted it,Mine does NOT bloom repeatedly...

I find this plant to be very invasive here in my zone 8b PNW garden. It self sows everywhere. Luckily it's easy enough to pull out unwanted plants but it comes up so thickly that you'll be doing a lot of pulling.

Prunella vulgaris is a wonderful "alternative lawn". It stays green all summer, needs less mowing and looks great all winter here in the Pacific Northwest. Most alternatives look ratty and meadowy by mid-summer, but Prunella stays green and healthy. A photo of my front "lawn" is posted.

While this plant has a long history of medicinal uses, I have had a bad reaction to it. If I hit it with a weed-wacker, I begin to cough uncontrollably and I can't draw a full breath. The effect goes away if I leave the immediate area, only lasting a minute or two, but it's enough to thoroughly panic a person. It does not return if I return to the area after the air has cleared. I have no reaction to the pollen or to touching the plant, but the reaction comes if I breathe it in after I vaporize the plant. There may not be many who have this reaction, but it may be something to consider.

Since new shoots are produced continually during the growing season, the plant has an extremely long bloom period that lasts for months in the summer.

Plant resprouts from any roots left in the soil, so make sure it is desired before planting.

Like most members of the mint family, Prunella has square stems and opposite leaves. A creeping perennial that forms low, dense mats of foliage. The stems may be erect or prostrate and range from two to fifteen inches high. Stems are slightly hairy when young but become hairless with age. Leaves are one to four inches long and about 1/3 to 1/2 as wide as they are long. The pinkish to purple flowers are in short, dense spikes (one to two inches long) at the tops of the stems. This can be a rapid spreader so plant where it doesn't crowd out other plants. Makes a good ground cover.

Sources indicate the common name, Prunella, was originally "Brunella" (from the German "bruen", referring to a disorder of the throat.)

The plant has long been used to heal many ailments, including sore throats, boils, colic, etc. The leaves contain an effective astringent, helpful in stopping bloodflow from a wound.