Prunella

( proo - NELL - uh )

At-A-Glance Information

Also called Self-Heal, Allheal, or Heal-All, this genus of flowering perennial plants needs full sun to light shade and regular water to perform well. The flowers will attract butterflies and other beneficial insects to your garden. Prunella is native to Europe and has a creeping habit, forming low, dense mats of green foliage. Hooded flowers appear in summertime. They are vigorous, hardy plants, and have a tendency to overwhelm their neighbors. Plants can be useful as a small-scale groundcover. 

Prunella Species and Varietals

The genus Prunella is a member of the plant family Lamiaceae and includes 13 species. Self-Heal grows best in zones 2-24. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.
Prunella grandiflora (Large-Flowered Self-Heal)
Flowering stems reach 1.5 feet tall and support purple blossoms. The species is native to Europe and neighboring areas in West Asia. Many varieties of this species are available for purchase at nurseries; choice selections are described below.
'Blue Loveliness'
Blue-purple flowers.
'Freelander Blue'
A compact plant with violet-blue blossoms that bloom over a long season.
'Pink Loveliness'
'White Loveliness'
White blossoms.

Prunella laciniata (Cutleaf Selfheal, Cut-Leaved Selfheal)
​These plants are native to Europe, and is commonly grown as a garden ornamental around the world. This species will occasionally escape cultivation and become a resident of natural landscapes in the eastern United States. Flowers are white, purple, yellow, or blue and foliage is green.

Prunella vulgaris (Common Self-Heal, Heal-All, Heart-of-the-Earth, Carpenter's Herb, Brownwort, Blue Curls)
This is a very commonly grown species of Self-Heal, and has flowers in pink or purple on stems that reach a foot tall. Stems are creeping and self-rooting. They are square and reddish, and leaves are lance-shaped and reddish at their tips when new. Flowers bloom in spring and summertime (from June through August, typically).

Caring for Prunella

Plant a foot apart for a small-scale groundcover. Shear off spent flowers to keep a neat appearance and discourage free self-sowing.

Propagation

Problems and Pests

Gallery

Camellias are great candidates to be grown as container plants on your patio.
A field of thea sinensis
Camellia hiemalis 'Shishi Gashira'

Videos

A video all about growing camellias successfully
Propagating camellias

Resources

Wikipedia: Prunella (plant)
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 531, Prunella
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or photos you’d like to add to the gallery, please let me know by sending me a message using the button below!
​