Selfheal (Prunella vulgaris) Is a Long Blooming Wildflower

Summary: Selfheal (Prunella vulgaris) is a long blooming wildflower with native homelands in both the New and Old Worlds.

Prunella vulgaris with usual, blue-purple floral coloring: N-Baudet, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Selfheal (Prunella vulgaris) is a long blooming wildflower that is native to both the New and Old Worlds.

Selfheal (Prunella vulgaris) claims native homelands in North Africa and Eurasia in the Old World and North America in the New World. In Asia, Prunella vulgaris surges eastward continentally to China and Korea and then crosses the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan for maritime distribution in Japan.

In North America, Prunella vulgaris occurs natively in Canada, the French Overseas Collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon (Collectivité d’Outre-mer de Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon), and the United States. In Canada, Prunella vulgaris is found natively along the northwest coast of the west coast province of British Columbia and in the southwest corner of Yukon, Canada’s northwesternmost territory. In the United States, Prunella vulgaris is native to Alaska and the Lower 48 states.

Prunella vulgaris handles both disturbed and undisturbed sites. Preferred habitats include edges, such as forest margins and roadsides; open sites, such as grasslands, meadows and open slopes; open woodlands. Prunella vulgaris also may be found along thickets and wet streamsides.

The vigorous plant thrives in full sun but also accepts shady sites. Despite a preference for fertile, well-drained habitats, Prunella vulgaris tolerates a variety of soils.

Prunella vulgaris is known commonly as all heal, heal-all and selfheal. Common names recognize the wildflower’s reputation throughout its native homelands as a wide-ranging natural therapeutic remedy.

Three subspecies of Prunella vulgaris are recognized. Prunella vulgaris var. aleutica is native to Alaska. Prunella vulgaris var. lanceolata is native to North America. Prunella vulgaris var. vulgaris, which is native to Eurasia, has been naturalized as an introduced species throughout much of ssp. lanceolata’s native range.

Prunella vulgaris is a perennial wildflower in the deadnettle or mint family of Lamiaceae. Unlike many of the family’s fragrant plants, however, selfheal exudes no noticeable scent.

Stems may measure lengths of 40-plus centimeters (15.74-plus inches) from a fibrous root system. Stems are green with purple-red tinges. Slight hairiness of young stems usually disappears with maturity. Selfheal stems display the mint family’s characteristics of squared stems and oppositely arranged leaves.

Green leaves may have margins that are smooth, known as entire, or that are slightly toothed. Leaves may be hairless or minutely hairy.

The shape of mid-stem leaves distinguishes Prunella vulgaris var. lanceolata and Prunella vulgaris var. vulgaris. Lanceolata’s mid-stem leaves are narrow, with lengths that triple the widths. The vulgaris subspecies has wide mid-stem leaves, with lengths that double the widths.

Selfheal’s flowers open in dense, four-angled, terminal spikes. Tubular flowers have hooded upper lips with three-lobed lower lips. The central lobe of the lower lip is larger than the two side lobes and has upward fringes.

The length of selfheal’s blooms depends upon such variables as climate and elevation. The blooming season may last from mid-spring, through summer and into autumn. Blooming occurs progressively, from lower to upper placements, along the spike.

Floral coloring usually is blue-purple. Occasional floral colors include mauve, pink and white.

The persistent calyx of green or reddish hairily-edged sepals retains four single-seeded, egg-shaped nutlets. Grazing animals, such as cattle, deer or sheep, disperse seeds. Ground-foraging birds are also responsible for seed dispersal. Also, raindrops that strike the calyx cause bowing and rebounding motions that release seeds.

Selfheal’s lengthy blooming and vigorous foliage endear the perennial wildflower to gardeners and landscapers. Selfheal excels as ground cover, in container gardening and as floral accents in low-wall plant cascades and in rock gardens.

Prunella vulgaris with white flowers: N-Baudet, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Prunella vulgaris with usual, blue-purple floral coloring: N-Baudet, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prunella_vulgaris_triangle.JPG

Prunella vulgaris with white flowers: N-Baudet, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prunella_vulgaris_blanche.jpg

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