The beautiful Self Heal

Self heal, Prunella vulgaris, is that beautiful plant that many avid lawn loving people complain about every year in their lawns. I have actually had difficulty growing this in my garden and have looked on with a touch of envy when I've seen it in people's lawns. This is another herb that is so attractive to pollinators with it's deep blue flowers. It is from the mint family so spreads readily from a small rooted piece. It likes it damp and sunny, but looking at many lawns, I think it's usually pretty hardy.

This is a herb that has been used in times gone by and is not something I would be able to buy to dispense to clients. It is something I grow myself to use in herbal teas or in an iced drink or a poultice or compress.

Historically, it has been used to support the body when there is a wound or bleeding, for the immune system and as a diuretic and astringent. I would usually harvest it in late spring before it flowers.

Because of it's an immunomodulator, it it something that may be useful to some for hayfever. It makes a nice tea blended with other herbs that are used for this: elderflower, golden rod, nettle and plantain.

In winter, when you are coming down with something, it may be a herb you think of when you have swollen glands. Again, a nice herbal tea blended with the likes or peppermint and elderflower. It is also soothing to a sore throat.

Keep it in your herbal first aid kit for:

🌱Cuts - it can be used just like yarrow for stauching blood - dry then grind to a powder and sprinkle on the wound.

🌱Burns including sunburn - use a tea made from the dried leaves as a compress or use fresh leaves directly as a poultice.

🌱Abscesses - use the fresh leaves as a poutice to draw out the infection.

Maybe this will change you minds next time you look at your lawns in summer!