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Heal-all

Heal-all

Prunella vulgaris

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How common: Very common

Heal-all is a low, creeping perennial with a short, dense flower head of mostly blue‑violet blooms. It is a familiar plant of lawns, paths and meadows across much of Europe, Asia and North America. Stems are slender and often partly purplish, and leaves grow in pairs along the stem.

Did you know?

  • Ants often carry its seeds thanks to a tiny pale food body on them.
  • After flowering, the tight heads dry to brown cones that look like miniature hop cones.

About the species

Identification

A small perennial 5–30 cm tall, branching from the base and often creeping a little. Stems slender, slightly hairy, sometimes purplish. Leaves in pairs on short stalks, oval to narrow oval with smooth or shallowly toothed edges; the top pair sits right under the flower head. The head is a short, tight cylinder made of many stacked clusters; each flower stands above a small rounded leaf-like piece. Flowers mostly blue‑violet (sometimes pinkish or pale yellow-white), with a small hood above and a wider lower part. Old heads turn brown and hold four tiny brown seeds. The stubby head and top leaf pair help tell it from bugle and other blue lawn plants. Flowers in Finland in July–August.

Plant group

Herbaceous plants

Habitat

meadow

Flowering

Jul–Aug

About the habitat

Grows in grassland, lawns, verges, pastures, paths, gardens, shores and rich, light woods. Prefers moist to moderately dry, fairly fertile soil in sun or partial shade, and tolerates trampling and mowing. Common across Finland except in Lapland, where it is rare.

Sources

Photo: JackyM59, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brunelle commune (Prunella vulgaris).jpg

Text: Pinkka: Verso- ja leviäintunnistus - Kaikki leviäimet, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39500

Text: Pinkka: Verso- ja leviäintunnistus - Kaikki versot, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39500

Text: Pinkka: Laaja maatalouslajintuntemus 4 op - Koppisiemeniset, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39500

Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niittyhumala

See also