Prunella vulgaris
| Prunella vulgaris | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 3 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 0.5' |
| Width: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Early Fall |
| Meadows | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Prunella vulgaris (common name: self-heal)
Propagation: Seed - sow in mid spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.
If you have sufficient seed then it can be sown outdoors in situ in mid to late spring.
Division in spring or autumn. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.
Cultivation: Thrives in any damp soil[1], in full sun or in light shade[2].
Plants are apt to become troublesome weeds in turf that is at all damp[1]. Self heal is a good plant for growing in the spring meadow[3].
Range: Europe, including Britain, from Norway south and east to N. Africa and temperate Asia.
Habitat: Waste ground, grassland, woodland edges etc, usually on basic and neutral soils[4][5].
Edibility: Leaves - raw or cooked[4]. They can be used in salads, soups, stews etc[6]. Somewhat bitter due to the presence of tannin in the leaves, though this can be removed by washing the leaves[7].
A cold water infusion of the freshly chopped or dried and powdered leaves is used as a refreshing beverage[8][6]. Very tasty[9].
Medicinal: Self heal has a long history of folk use, especially in the treatment of wounds, ulcers, sores etc[10]. It was also taken internally as a tea in the treatment of fevers, diarrhoea, sore mouth, internal bleeding etc[11][12]. In Korea it is used to treat oedema, nephritis, scrofula and goitre[13].
The whole plant is alterative, antibacterial, antipyretic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, astringent, carminative, diuretic, febrifuge, hypotensive, stomachic, styptic, tonic, vermifuge and vulnerary[11][4][14][15][16][17]. It has an antibacterial action, inhibiting the growth of Pseudomonas, Bacillus typhi, E. coli, Mycobacterium tuberculi etc[16]. It can be used fresh or dried, for drying it is best harvested in mid-summer[11].
The plant is experimentally antibiotic and hypotensive[17][12].
Usage: An olive-green dye is obtained from the flowers and stems[9].
The plant is a good ground-cover in sunny positions or light shade[18].
Pollinators: Bees
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ Baines, Chris. Making a Wildlife Garden.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Launert, Edmund. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn, 1981.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Yanovsky, Elias. Food Plants of the North American Indians Publication 237. US Department of Agriculture.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.
- ↑ Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
- ↑ Medicinal Plants in the Republic of Korea. World Health Organisation, 1998.
- ↑ Triska, Jan. Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn, 1975.
- ↑ Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1983.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Yeung, Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, 1985.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.