Prunella vulgaris L.

Common selfheal, heal-all, heart-of-the-earth, healall

About plant names...

Heal-all is a common native of North America, Europe, and Asia. It is a member of the mint family.

Identification: Plants are 1¾-16" (5-40 cm) high, usually toward the small end of this. It is often found in lawns. Stems are approximately square in cross section, green or reddish, and lightly to densely hairy. Leaves are up to 2" (6 cm) × ¾" (2 cm), oval or sometimes lance-shaped, on fairly long petioles (leaf stems). The flowers appear on spikes at the top. They look uneven and disheveled because they don't bloom all at once. Each flower is about ⅜" (1 cm) around, purple on top and white below, and bilaterally symmetrical: if you cut it in half vertically, the halves are mirror images. The lower center petal has a ragged edge.

Medical: As heal-all's name suggests, it has long been used in folk medicine, for a wide range of symptoms. Symptoms include fevers, rheumatism, liver ailments, eye problems, swollen glands, urinary problems, sore throats; heal-all was also used as an antibiotic and general cure-all. Even today, it is sometimes used to treat minor injuries such as sores, burns, or bruises, and as a mouthwash for mouth ulcers. However, I was not able to find any definitive studies on these medicinal properties.

7/15/2012 · Fort Point State Park, Stockton Springs, Maine
≈ 4 × 5" (10 × 13 cm)

7/29/2023 · Gordon and Kathy’s, Prospect, Maine · By J Gordon Williamson

8/6/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 12 × 8" (31 × 20 cm)

Some similar species:

	Ajuga reptans	Glechoma hederacea	Lamium purpureum
Common Name	bugle	ground-ivy	purple dead-nettle
Plant	Forms loose mats. Plants are 6-9" (15-22 cm) in height.	Often only 3" (7.6 cm) tall, it sometimes reaches 12" (30 cm). Extends horizontally, hence the term “ivy.”	4-16" (10-40 cm) high, and somewhat hairy.
Flowers	Blue, appearing from May to Jun.	Flowers are blue, purple, or lavender, occurring in groups of 3. The flower shape is unusual. A small upper petal is divided into two lobes. A larger lower petal has a lobe on either side, and a large bottom lobe that is divided into two more lobes. Each flower is ⅜-½" (9.5-12 mm) across.	Flowers are ¼-¾" (6.3-19 mm), appearing from Mar to Oct. They are pink to red to purple in color.
Leaves	Dark green with purple highlights, opposite, and simple, sometimes toothed.	Round or kidney-shaped, with scalloped edges, ⅜-1¼" (9.5-31 mm) in diameter.	Toothed, round or kidney-shaped, deeply and irregularly veined, and ¼-1¼" (6.3-31 mm). Each stem node has two opposite leaves, and each succeeded pair is rotated 90° from the last. Upper, younger leaves often have a red-violet tinge.
Stem		Square in cross-section.	Stems are 4-angled and glabrous.
Range/ Zones	USDA Zones: 3-10
Habitats	Damp grassy fields, damp woods.	Moist ground, woods, slopes, roadsides, waste places, lawns	Fields, weedy places, gardens.
Type	Wild	Wild	Wild
Occurrence	Common	Common	Common

	You are here Prunella vulgaris
Common Name	common selfheal
Plant	1¾-16" (5-40 cm) high, usually toward the small end of this. It is often found in lawns.
Flowers	On spikes at the top. They look uneven and disheveled because they don't bloom all at once. Each flower is about ⅜" (1 cm) around, purple on top and white below, and bilaterally symmetrical.
Leaves	Up to 2" (6 cm) × ¾" (2 cm), oval or sometimes lance-shaped, on fairly long petioles (leaf stems).
Stem	Approximately square in cross section, green or reddish, and lightly to densely hairy.
Range/ Zones
Habitats	Fields, roadsides, weedy area, open woods
Type	Wild
Occurrence	Common

Online References:

Missouriplants.com

The Vanderbilt University Bioimages web site

Planet Botanic

The Virginia Tech Weed Identification Guide

Illinois Wildflowers

Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants

Wildflowers, Ferns & Trees of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah

7/11/2016 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area,

7/29/2023 · Gordon and Kathy’s, Prospect, Maine · By J Gordon Williamson

8/8/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 13 × 9" (33 × 23 cm) ID is uncertain

10/10/2021 · Witt’s End Trail, Norway, Maine
≈ 4½ × 3½" (12 × 9.8 cm)

8/6/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 6 × 8" (15 × 20 cm)

6/30/2013 · Great Hill Conservation Land, Acton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 6 × 4½" (14 × 11 cm)

6/4/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 7 × 8" (18 × 20 cm)

9/8/2017 · Bates Land and Blackman Land, Groton Conservation Trust, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 3½ × 2½" (9 × 6.4 cm)

7/6/2017 · Mt. Watatic, access road, Ashby, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 4 × 4½" (10 × 11 cm)

7/11/2016 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area,

8/8/2010 · Jeff Smith Trail, Beaver Brook Association Conservation Lands, Rte. 130, Hollis, New Hamp­shire
≈ 3½ × 4½" (9.4 × 11 cm)

Prunella vulgaris description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 11 Oct 2021.

© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.

6/20/2021 · Maquoit Bay Preserve, Brunswick, Maine
≈ 5 × 8" (13 × 20 cm)

8/6/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 4½ × 5" (12 × 13 cm)

7/6/2017 · Mt. Watatic, access road, Ashby, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 4 × 4½" (10 × 11 cm)

7/23/2017 · Pine Grove Furnace State Park, Penn­syl­vania
≈ 5 × 4" (13 × 11 cm)

7/11/2012 · Jeff Smith Trail, Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 5 × 4½" (12 × 12 cm) ID is uncertain

8/18/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 7 × 10" (18 × 26 cm)

6/27/2012 · Townsend Wildlife Management Area, Townsend, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 3½ × 4½" (9.3 × 11 cm)

7/27/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 11 × 10" (27 × 24 cm)

6/20/2021 · Maquoit Bay Preserve, Brunswick, Maine
≈ 4 × 4" (10 × 10 cm)

6/30/2013 · Great Hill Conservation Land, Acton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 5 × 6" (12 × 14 cm)

Range:

About this map...