Heal all

a little bit of everything

Growing beneath the radar in the West, is heal all, a.k.a. self-heal or Prunella vulgaris. Though it is largely ignored in our part of the world the Chinese have multitudinous uses for this little weed, which is a mild means to address whatever ails you. Hsia-k’u ts’ao (Xia ku cao) is applied for such things as lymphadenopathy, goiter, hypertension, conjunctivitis, edema (as kidney and circulatory support), liver support, clearing congestion, and healing of abscesses. Traditionally, it’s regarded as a cold, bitter herb, used generously, in ~6-15 gram quantities of flowering heads per dose. Western herbalists agree that the herb is cooling, but in utilizing the whole herb, consider it both bitter and sweet. If you chew the leaves, you’ll taste sweetness and demulcent character, but there is a mild, bitter aftertaste. Wound healing, hemostatic effects, and immunomodulation are a few more its medicinal credits.

In June, when we braved the cleaning of our poison-ivy laden fence, an oval patch of heal-all had arisen to a full 2 inches, just south of our pine trees, and screamed for attention. They wanted recognition. They wanted to go viral! Unfortunately we can’t provide such full service until we become a little more famous. A few blooms have popped up, so now there enough photos to at least get our little buddies some face time online. Top recognition goes to the little weed that made it through the dry weather to flower profusely from a single, short spike, giving our best view of blooms at different angles.

Prunus vulgarus, heal all, self heal. This little weed survived the dry weather to bloom with all its might, and provided an opportunity to see the flowers from many angles.

There are said to be a number of sub-species of Prunella vulgaris, which often hybridize with other subspecies. Prunella vulgaris subspecies lanceolata is thought by some to be the native North American species, and Prunella vulgaris subspecies vulgaris is said to be the European variety. A third type, Prunella vulgaris subspecies asiatica is native to - guess where. There are numerous other interbreeding subspecies which have been claimed. At weedom, we won’t be surprised if the botanists eventually throw up their hands and give up sub-speciation with further attempts to study this weed.

Prunella vulgaris is a perennial inhabiting zones 4a through 9b, and flowering in North America throughout the summer. In the UK, these weeds continue flowering later into the fall. A member of the Laminaceae, the mint family, heal all has square stems, and a perennial habit. It spreads by seed and often by stolons, stems which can root at the nodes. This plant occupies fairly shady places, but can also tolerate nearly full sun, if given sufficient water. The leaves of more shaded plants seem consistently to be a much darker green. Considered by some to be invasive, heal all seems too small, mild and mellow to be a threat to anyone. It serves as food to numerous pollinator insects, and supports the lifecycle of the sulphur butterfly.

Square stems. Roots forming at the first node. The base of heal all plant.

Once you’ve seen and handled heal all, you’ll notice it even before it blooms, even though this is a sprawling, short weed that is adept at ducking the lawnmower blades. The stems might reach 8 inches (20cm.) in height if left undisturbed, but frequently stubby little plants will flower throughout any area which is mowed. Leaves are lanceolate or ovate, (longer than wide) between and may reach a bit more than an inch, (3 cm.) in length. Like any good mint, they are arranged oppositely and in alternate directions along the square stem. The margins may be smooth or have some rounded teeth. Hairs line the central vein beneath the leaf, and may be further distributed on the underside and along the edges. Sparse hairs may occur on the upper side of the leaves also. Petioles are usually short, less than a centimeter in length.

Patch of heal all plants, on the south side of our pine trees, They stood up a full two inches and loudly announced themselves.

The flowers are arranged in a circular pattern around a square or cylindrical looking spike with two leaves clasping the stem at the base. Each hairy bract produces 3 flowers, often one at a time. Tubular in shape, the flowers have an hooded purplish petal above, and a lower 3 lobed petal below, which is usually lighter in color. The larger middle lobe is fringed. As the flowers grow outward, they lighten in color. Each flower can produce 4 smooth, brown nutlets or seeds. Our little weeds usually flower throughout the Summer at weedom, (Midwest U.S.A., zone 6). This year they started in late June. Remembering this will ensure that they’re never confused with such things as henbit, or purple dead nettle which flower much earlier in Spring.

Flowering heads of heal all, Prunella vulgaris, are of the most interest in traditional Chinese usage.

Below, hairs are visible both on the underside and the tops of the leaves.

Hairy leaves of Prunella vulgaris, heal all

Leaves are a bit lighter in color below, and the pinnately arranged veins are more prominently visible. If the plants escape mowing, they can branch a bit and creep along the ground, sending out roots from the nodes of stems.

Heal all, detail of underside of leaves

Currently, our pharmacognosy friends in China are pretty excited about studying the 260 + compounds found in Prunella Vulgaris, including an array of triterpenoids, phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, organic acids, saccharides and numerous essential oils. This last group appears to mainly come from the flowering heads. The unbelievable array of active compounds in this plant gives a clue as to why it was widely applied in early times, and we will surely return to it in future articles.

Of recent interest is the mechanism of the anti-estrogen activity exhibited by this weed. It has been studied in mouse models of endometriosis, and observed to counteract the estrogen stimulated growth of these troublesome lesions of endometrial tissue that occur outside of the uterus. There seems not to be direct activity of Prunella vulgaris on the estrogen receptors themselves, but it seems to act on a different one, the aryl hydrocarbon receptor which modulates the transcription of genes that could be activated by estrogen (as well numerous exogenous molecules). This opens up understanding of how this plant could discourage estrogen dependent tumors or other types that are influenced by the aryl hydrocarbon receptor mechanism. Yes, our weed is being studied for anti-tumor activity and as an adjunct to chemotherapy.

One of the many antimicrobial actions available from this plant is the disruption of biofilms. It also has been credited with ability to inhibit the binding of such viruses as Herpes simplex II, HIV and human papilloma virus. One of the known antiviral constituents of our little weed is rosmarinic acid, a phenylpropranoid dimer that’s been the talk of the herb world for quite awhile. If you want an “organic” preservative, it’s a big one to keep in your memory banks. Rosmarinic acid ‘does it all’, being simultaneously antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-allergic, etcetera. You’ll find this molecule in some more pedigreed mints too, such as rosemary, sage, lemon balm, and peppermint.

The earlier North American inhabitants employed heal-all to address eye ailments such as conjunctivitis, sore throats, and for gastrointestinal issues including diarrhea. This herb as both astringent and demulcent, was used to help to stop bleeding, and to soothe wounds and burns. Antimicrobial constituents served to help prevent infection, further assisting the healing of wounds. The tea was used to quell fevers.

Noticing the flowering cylinders low to the ground is how you’ll find the heal all plant.

The mild nature and relative safety of heal all places it in the status of a cooling medicinal food. Leaves can be eaten raw or cooked, and are particularly palatable prior to flowering. Flower heads might be considered to be too flavorful by some, though this writer thinks they taste OK while they’re still mostly green. Fresh or dried, the entire plant can be used to make a cooling and satisfying tea, which tastes a bit sweeter and milder than black tea, (Camellia sinensis). It can be used to adjust the flavor of medicinal tea formulas towards greater tolerability, and it does taste great by itself. Leaves can also be cooked and added to just about any dish which needs mild greens. Think about adding Prunella vulgaris into any honey formulations which are used to address colds and coughs. At weedom, we have some picking to do this month, to produce plenty of dried heal all for the winter.

Eyes down for bit when you get lost in the weeds this month! Find this excellent herb and experience it for yourself. Tell us what you think of it!

Where We Dig

1. Hunan Zhong yi yao yan jiu suo, ed. A Barefoot Doctor’s Manual. Rev. & enl. ed. Cloudburst Press ; distributed to the trade in the U.S.A. by S. Greene Press; 1977.

2. An Herbalist’s Guide to Using Self Heal. indie herbalist. Published April 25, 2019. Accessed July 19, 2023. https://blog.indieherbalist.com/an-herbalists-guide-to-using-self-heal/

3. Collins NH, Lessey EC, DuSell CD, et al. Characterization of Antiestrogenic Activity of the Chinese Herb, Prunella vulgaris, Using In Vitro and In Vivo (Mouse Xenograft) Models1. Biology of Reproduction. 2009;80(2):375-383. doi:10.1095/biolreprod.107.065375

4. Maier K, Gladstar R. Energetic Herbalism - A Guide to Sacred Plant Traditions Integrating Elements of Vitalism, Ayurveda, and Chinese Medicine. Chelsea Green Publishing; 2021. https://openlibrary.org/books/OL34171771M/Energetic_Herbalism

5. Ganora L. Herbal Constituents, 2nd Edition - Foundations of Phytochemistry. Lulu Press, Inc.; 2021. https://openlibrary.org/books/OL35083771M/Herbal_Constituents_2nd_Edition

6. Grieve M. Modern Herbal. Echo Point Books & Media, LLC.; 2015. https://openlibrary.org/books/OL36722889M/Modern_Herbal

7. Zhang X, Shen T, Zhou X, et al. Network pharmacology based virtual screening of active constituents of Prunella vulgaris L. and the molecular mechanism against breast cancer. Sci Rep. 2020;10(1):15730. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-72797-8

8. Zhao J, Ji D, Zhai X, Zhang L, Luo X, Fu X. Oral Administration of Prunella vulgaris L Improves the Effect of Taxane on Preventing the Progression of Breast Cancer and Reduces Its Side Effects. Frontiers in Pharmacology. 2018;9. Accessed July 19, 2023. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2018.00806

9. Prunella vulgaris (Heal All, Selfheal) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. Accessed July 17, 2023. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/prunella-vulgaris/

10. Cottrell V. Prunella vulgaris (self-heal). CABI Compendium. 2016;CABI Compendium:116556. doi:10.1079/cabicompendium.116556

11. Pan J, Wang H, Chen Y. Prunella vulgaris L. - A Review of its Ethnopharmacology, Phytochemistry, Quality Control and Pharmacological Effects. Front Pharmacol. 2022;13:903171. doi:10.3389/fphar.2022.903171

12. Qu Z, Zhang J, Yang H, et al. Prunella vulgaris L., an Edible and Medicinal Plant, Attenuates Scopolamine-Induced Memory Impairment in Rats. J Agric Food Chem. 2017;65(2):291-300. doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.6b04597

13. Prunella vulgaris Self-Heal, Common selfheal, Aleutian selfheal, Lance selfheal PFAF Plant Database. Accessed July 19, 2023. https://pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?LatinName=Prunella+vulgaris

14. Wang SJ, Wang XH, Dai YY, et al. Prunella vulgaris: A Comprehensive Review of Chemical Constituents, Pharmacological Effects and Clinical Applications. Curr Pharm Des. 2019;25(3):359-369. doi:10.2174/1381612825666190313121608

15. Self Heal: Pictures, Flowers, Leaves & Identification | Prunella vulgaris. Accessed July 19, 2023. https://www.ediblewildfood.com/self-heal.aspx

16. Self-Heal: Herb of the Week · CommonWealth Holistic Herbalism. Published November 20, 2017. Accessed July 19, 2023. https://commonwealthherbs.com/self-heal-herb-of-the-week/

17. Selfheal - Prunella vulgaris | Washington College. Accessed July 19, 2023. https://www.washcoll.edu/learn-by-doing/food/plants/lamiaceae/prunella-vulgaris.php

18. Dar KA, Senthilmurugan S, Ali S, Al-Sadoon MK, Paray BA. Studies on the isolation and identification of the antibacterial compound from Prunella vulgaris L. Flower extract. Journal of King Saud University - Science. 2022;34(8):102324. doi:10.1016/j.jksus.2022.102324

19. Wood M. The Earthwise Herbal - A Complete Guide to Old World Medicinal Plants. North Atlantic Books; 2008. https://openlibrary.org/books/OL12031143M/The_Earthwise_Herbal

20. Cho MK, Jin L, Han JH, et al. Water-Extracted Prunella vulgaris Alleviates Endometriosis by Reducing Aerobic Glycolysis. Front Pharmacol. 2022;13:872810. doi:10.3389/fphar.2022.872810

21. Yin Yang House | Xia Ku Cao - Selfheal Spike, Prunella TCM Materia Medica. Accessed July 17, 2023. https://yinyanghouse.com/theory/theory/herbalmedicine/xia_ku_cao_tcm_herbal_database/