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Prunella vulgaris ssp. lanceolata

Self Heal

At a Glance: Fibrous-rooted perennial from short rhizome or stem-base with small purple flowers.

Height: Up to 20 inches (50 cm).
Growth Form: Herb.
Stems: Stems square.
Leaves: Opposite, relatively few, lance-egg-shaped to oblong or elliptic, minutely hairy to hairless, stalked; margins smooth or obscurely toothed.
Flowers: 1 cm long; sepals in 2-lipped, spine-tipped tube; petals a 2-lipped tube, upper lip hooded, bonnet-like, lower lip 3 lobed, center lobe fringed, 4 stamens; primary color: Purplish to pink, occasionally white; shape: snapdragon-like, in cluster.
Flowering Period: May, June, July.
Fruits: 4 nutlets.


Photo © 2003, Starflower Foundation

Sun/Shade Tolerance	Hydrology	Elevation Range
full sun > 80% mostly sunny 60%-80% partial sun and shade 40%- 60% mostly shady 60%-80% full shade > 80%	wet moist dry	low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation

Soil Preferences
(data not available)

Habitat Preferences
Aquatic and Wetland: Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs Shorelines and Riparian: Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas	Saltwater Areas: In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches Rocky or Gravelly Areas: Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas Sub-alpine and Alpine: Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks	Forests and Thickets: Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets Meadows and Fields: Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas Disturbed Areas: Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites

Wildlife Value

(data not available)

Ethnobotanical Uses and Other Facts

Medicinal Uses: The Nuxalk boiled the entire plant to make tea for the heart. The Quinault and Quileute put the juice on boils. The leaves were placed on cuts, bruises and skin inflammations, and the plants were crushed and mixed with grease as an ointment.
Name Info: The medicinal uses of the plant explain the common names.
Interesting Facts: An old French proverb claims, "No one wants a surgeon who keeps Prunelle." This is because a good surgeon should not leave his patients bleeding. Older common names such as hook-heal and carpenters herb refer to the plants use in healing wounds caused by sharp-edged tools.

Suggested References

Hickman, J.C., ed. 1993. The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. University of California Press. Page 725.
Hitchcock, C.L., A. Cronquist. 1973. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 406.
Jacobson A.L. 2001. Wild Plants of Greater Seattle. Published by author. Page 264.
Lyons, C., W. Merilees. Trees and Shrubs to Know in Washington and British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 306.
Pojar, J., A. Mackinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 246.

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.