SELF-HEAL i Hcal-All ) 



Prunella vulgaris L. 



June - August S(>lf-hoal onginally lived in Kuro])e. Before 



Lawns, roadsides, woods the airival of ('oliniil)n.'; ami the following 



hoidt's of Euroi>oans who eanie to the .chores 

 of North America and traveled inland, there was no self-heal in all the 

 Xew World. And now, say the hotany manuals. .<;elf-heal is found in 

 woods and fields from Newfoundland to Florida and westward across the 

 continent. It is found in <:anl('ns and in lawns ami. just as olheiently, it 

 grows along the Shenandoah Skyline high in the Appalachian moun- 

 tains, in Salt l^ake City, Utah, in a Xew Orleans cemeteiT, or high on 

 the ten thousand foot elevation of TJrand Mesa in Colorado. It varies 

 its form somewhat. dcixMuling u|)on its hal)itat. It may he smaller and 

 more compact, with more deejjly colored flowers, or nuiy grow taller and 

 paler. But wherever it grows, the self-heal nmltii)lies and eontinues its 

 ooast-to-coast trek across a continent. 



It is at no time a diiruult weed. It d(^)es not rout grass from a lawn 

 nor flowers from a garden. Kather, it insinuates itself among other vege- 

 tation as part of it, and there it i.s from late ^lay until frost, as an inte- 

 grated ])in'i of our native flora. 



Long ago in l\uroi>e. self-heal was often ealled heal-all or all-heal, 

 and was ])elieved to \)o the one remedy for every ailment. It was n.<=ed 

 extensively in early medieine, es]iecially for treating quin.«y and croup. 



Self-heal has oval, tapering, light green leaves aiTanged on a squarish 

 stem. The flowers are jn'oduced in a square, many-sealed head. The 

 flowers arc lavender-purple ahove and white below. The plant is not more 

 than eight to ten inches high, and in certain situations lies close to the 

 ground. 



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