Prunella vulgaris var. lanceolata (American Self-heal or American Heal-all)

Description

This Native Evergreen Groundcover blooms prolifically from April to June attracting numerous Hummingbirds, Butterflies, and Native Bees when few other native plants are blooming. Pollination ecologists rate  American Self-heal especaily important for native bees. Bee visitors include bumblebees, Anthophorine bees, little carpenter bees (Ceratina spp.), long-horned bees (Melissodes spp.), and Halictid bees (including green metallic bees).  Flowers are usually purple to lavendar. Occasionally, they are pink or white. It is a Larval host of the Gray Marvel Moth making it a good hunting area for birds.   Used medicinally for many conditions, some studies indicate it has antiviral properties. Rarely browsed by deer, tolerating mowing and foot traffic, American Self-heal makes a wonderful ground cover for average to moist soil in sun or shade.   The vegetative stems hug the ground and root at the nodes. Flowering stems rise up a few inches tall along compacted paths to 2 feet tall in moist wooded areas.

American Self Heal is native to  AK , AL , AR , AZ , CA , CO , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , IA , ID , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MS , MT , NC , ND , NE , NH , NJ , NM , NV , NY , OH , OK , OR , PA , RI , SC , SD , TN , TX , UT , VA , VT , WA , WI , WV , WY
Canada: NL , NS , PE  Though widesperadshorter, tighter American Self-heal is  locally rare remnant of pine savannas and hardwood forests. We propagated our American Self-heal from one of the few remaining native populations in Beaufort Co., SC.  Plant it in your garden so that you, your butterflies and your bees will be able to enjoy them for years to come.  Do not confuse it with the Non-native, Non-trailing taller Eurasian Self Heal  (Prunella vulgaris var. vulgaris which is abundant in the Piedmont of GA and SC.