# common selfheal

*Prunella vulgaris*

Historically known as 'heal-all', it was a staple in medieval apothecary kits and was used to treat wounds, sore throats, and fevers.

- **Taxonomy:** Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Lamiales › Lamiaceae › Prunella
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Meadows, lawns, forest edges, and roadsides
- **Diet:** Autotrophic (photosynthesis)
- **Range:** North America, Europe, Asia, North Africa
- **Size:** 5 to 30 cm tall, spreading up to 50 cm wide
- **Lifespan:** Perennial (individual plants live 3-5 years, colony persists indefinitely via stolons)
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Excessive herbicide use in manicured lawns and intensive agricultural land conversion.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless and safe to touch. This edible herb can be observed closely in lawns and fields. Ensure the area has not been sprayed with chemical pesticides or herbicides before handling or harvesting.

## About

Prunella vulgaris (known as common self-heal , heal-all , woundwort, heart-of-the-earth , carpenter's herb, brownwort and blue curls) is an herbaceous plant in the genus Prunella .

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/ac37acd1-db9f-4420-904e-c9bc3bf92d00
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/52764
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prunella vulgaris
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/264671880/medium.jpeg (Brady Reed, CC0, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.