Foraging Self Heal (& Ways to Use It)

[Watchman]

Self Heal (Prunella vulgaris) is common wild weed that’s both edible and medicinal. It forms a dense, low growing carpet of purple flowers on lawns and field edges, and it’s likely you’ve seen it growing near your home. Traditional names like Woundwort, Heal-All, and Carpenter’s Herb hint at it’s many medicinal uses.

Self Heal (or Heal All) is one of the first wild weeds I learned to identify, decades ago when I was just getting into herbalism and foraging. I spotted pictures in a book, and with a name like “Heal All” I just knew I had to find it in the wild.

Lucky for me, it didn’t take long. Just a few steps outside my door, and there it was, brightening up a corner of the lawn.

It’s incredibly common, and grows on lawns all over the world. It’s considered a “weed” by most people, but the beautiful purple flowers are intentionally planted by some as a lovely spreading ground cover. READ FULL ARTICLE HERE