Common Selfheal
Prunella vulgaris
- Native to:
- Afghanistan, Albania, Aleutian Is., Algeria, Austria, Azores, Baleares, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canary Is., Cape Verde, China, Corse, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czechia-Slovakia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, East Aegean Is., Finland, Føroyar, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hainan, Haiti, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Korea, Kriti, Krym, Kuril Is., Labrador, Lebanon-Syria, Madeira, Mexico, Morocco, Nansei-shoto, Nepal, Netherlands, North Caucasus, Norway, NW. Balkan Pen., Pakistan, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Prince Edward I., Romania, Russia, Sardegna, Sicilia, Sinai, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tadzhikistan, Taiwan, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Türkiye, Türkiye-in-Europe, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United States, Uzbekistan, Vietnam
Jesse Taylor
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Lamiaceae
- Genus:
- Prunella
- Species:
- Prunella vulgaris
- USDA Symbol:
- PRVU
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 30 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun,Part Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- may,jun,jul,aug,sep
- Bloom Colors:
- purple, violet, pink, white
- Ground Cover:
- Yes
- Lawn Substitute:
- Yes
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: American bumble bee (Bombus pensylvanicus), Black-tailed bumble bee (Bombus melanopygus), Bombus Latreille, Common eastern (Bombus impatiens), Confusing bumble (Bombus perplexus), Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Half-black bumble bee (Bombus vagans), Indiscriminate cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus insularis), Northern amber (Bombus borealis), Obscure bumble bee (Bombus caliginosus), Pyrobombus Dalla, Sitka bumble bee (Bombus sitkensis), Tri-colored bumble (Bombus ternarius), Two-form bumble bee (Bombus bifarius), Two-spotted bumble (Bombus bimaculatus), ⚠️Western honey bee (Apis mellifera), White-shouldered bumble bee (Bombus appositus), Yellow head bumble bee (Bombus flavifrons), Yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii) Butterflies:Dun Skipper (Euphyes vestris), Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus), Small White (Pieris rapae), Southern Broken-Dash (Polites otho), Woodland Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanoides), Zabulon Skipper (Lon zabulon)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, butterflies, hummingbirds
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts from rootstock following fire; commonly found in fire-maintained meadows and disturbed areas.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- moist, fertile, well-drained loam
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- Thrives in a variety of soil types but prefers moist conditions.
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–28 days
- Notes:
- Seeds require light for germination; surface sow and do not cover. Cold stratification improves germination rates.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: None required
Source: npn.rngr.net
ORGHPS Germination Guide: Sow @ 20C. Germinates within 3 months.