Prunella vulgaris 'Selfheal'

[Ex. Northumberland, England]

Lamiaceae: short, creeping grassland perennial with a square stem and bright green oval leaves, borne in opposite pairs. The flowers are violet, hooded and two lipped and are arranged into a dense slightly oblong head. Flowering is from June to September. Found on a wide range of grasslands such as meadows, pasture, lawns, roadsides and woodland clearings but has a particular affinity for moist, moderately fertile neutral or calcareous soils. Common throughout the British Isles, native to Europe, including Britain, from Norway south and east to North Africa and temperate Asia.

USES:

The leaves can be raw or cooked, they can be used in salads, soups, stews. Somewhat bitter due to the presence of tannin in the leaves, though this can be removed by washing the leaves. A cold water infusion of the freshly chopped or dried and powdered leaves is used as a refreshing beverage, very tasty.

Selfheal has a long history of folk use, especially in the treatment of wounds, ulcers, sores. It was also taken internally as a tea in the treatment of fevers, diarrhoea, sore mouth, internal bleeding. In Korea it is used to treat oedema, nephritis, scrofula and goitre. The whole plant is alterative, antibacterial, antipyretic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, astringent, carminative, diuretic, and febrifuge, hypotensive, stomachic, styptic, and tonic, vermifuge and vulnerary. It has an antibacterial action, inhibiting the growth of Pseudomonas, Bacillus typhi, E. coli, Mycobacterium tuberculi. It can be used fresh or dried, for drying it is best harvested in mid-summer. The plant is experimentally antibiotic and hypotensive.

GROWING INFORMATION:

Surface sow in spring. full sun and a well-drained site. Easy!

HARVESTED:

APPROX.