Self Heal

(Prunella vulgaris)

Other Names:

All-Heal, Common Selfheal, Heal-all, Heart-of-the-Earth

Range:

Family:

Lamiaceae – Mint family

Growth Type:

Herbaceous Perennial herb is found throughout North America.

Height:

Can grow up to 12 inches tall

Leaves:

The leaves are opposite, lance shaped, serrated and reddish at tip. They are approximately an inch long and ½ inch wide, and grow on short stalks in opposite pairs down the square stem.

Stem/Trunk:

The stems are reddish-brown, square, tough, creeping, self-rooting, and branching at leaf axis.

Root:

Short taproot

Flower Season:

Flowers bloom June thru August

Flower Appearance:

The flowers grow from a club-like, somewhat square, whirled cluster. Two stalkless Alternate leaves appear immediately below this club. Their appearance makes them look like a collar. Flowers are two lipped and tubular, the top lip is a purple hood, and the bottom lip is often white, it has three lobes with the middle lobe being larger and fringed upwardly.

Seed/Fruit:

Flower ripens to a dry head containing numerous small, brown, oblong, seeds

Miscellaneous characteristics:

N/A

Habitat:

Damp soils. Most yards. In full sun to partial shade.

Parts Used:

Food: The leaves and flowers are edible.
Medicine: The entire plant, gathered while in flower

Culinary Uses:

Self heal contains vitamins A, C, and K. Unlike many other mints, or weeds, self heal does not become bitter as it ages. This means that it is a great trail nibble. The leaves and flowers can be taken home and added to salads, or used as a pot herb.

Energetics:

Taste: Bitter/Pungent
Thermal: Cooling
Humidity: Drying

Traditional Medicinal Uses:

For millennia people all over the world have benefitted from the healing properties of Selfheal. It has traditionally been used to treat bacterial infections, boils, bruises, burns, diarrhea, dizziness, eye problems, goiter, headache, high blood pressure, infections, inflammation, liver disease, menstrual cramps, mouth ulcers, scrofula, sore throats, tonsillitis, viral infections, and wounds.

P. vulgaris is also showing promise in research for cancer, AIDS, diabetes, and many other maladies. I find this plant truly shines when we discuss its anti-inflammatory effects on the circulatory system. Clinical trials have shown P. vulgaris to be especially helpful at eliminating the inflammation that causes atherosclerosis (Park SH et al., 2013). It is also an amazing immune modulator. In 2005 a study was reported in the International Journal of Molecular Medicine which showed that self heal modulated the immune system by upregulating macrophages and monocytes (white blood cells) while at the same time attenuating inflammation associated with an over reactive immune system. (Fang, X et al., 2005)

Indications

Atherosclerosis, Autoimmune Disease, Bacterial Infection, Breast Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease, Diarrhea, Fever, Fibrosis, Gingivitis, Goiter, Hypertension, Hyperthyroidism, Inflammation, Mastitis, Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis

Usage Citations

The fact that studies concerning all indications listed above have not yet been completed, does not mean said uses are invalid. The plants I have included have a long history of effective use, and most were part of the U.S. Pharmacopoeia prior to the advent of allopathic medicine.

Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries): Sun T, Yuan W, Li X, Xia B, Huang J, Piao M, Chen W, Tuo Q. Prunella vulgaris polyphenols alleviate atherosclerosis by regulating lipid metabolism via suppressing STAT3 and activating the PI3K-Akt pathway. Fitoterapia. 2025 Oct;186:106848. doi: 10.1016/j.fitote.2025.106848. Epub 2025 Sep 5. PMID: 40915369.

Bacterial Infections: Xiao Q, Du K, Luo L, Luo Y, Wu X, Zhao C, Zeng J, Huang W, Chen C. Regulation of virulence factors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by Scutellaria baicalensis, Prunella vulgaris and antimicrobial peptide LL-37. J Med Microbiol. 2026 Feb;75(2). doi: 10.1099/jmm.0.002122. PMID: 41637127.

Breast Cancer (Triple-negative breast cancer): Li Y, Luo H, Lin X, Hua L, Wang J, Xie J, Zhang Z, Shi Z, Li M, Peng Q, Lin L, Liao D, Xia B. Triterpenes of Prunella vulgaris Inhibit Triple-Negative Breast Cancer by Regulating PTP1B/PI3K/AKT/mTOR and IL-24/CXCL12/CXCR4 Pathways. Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Feb 24;26(5):1959. doi: 10.3390/ijms26051959. PMID: 40076586; PMCID: PMC11900149.

Cardiovascular Disease: Leng L, Li P, Liu R, Francis OB, Song S, Sui Y, Yang Y, Wang Y, Sun X, Miao R, Yuan Q, Li X, Yang W, Gao X, Wang Q. The main active components of Prunella vulgaris L. alleviate myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting oxidative stress and ferroptosis via the NRF2/GPX4 pathway. J Ethnopharmacol. 2025 Apr 9;345:119630. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2025.119630. Epub 2025 Mar 13. PMID: 40089199.

Fibrosis (Fibrosis): Boo YC. Therapeutic Potential and Mechanisms of Rosmarinic Acid and the Extracts of Lamiaceae Plants for the Treatment of Fibrosis of Various Organs. Antioxidants (Basel). 2024 Jan 24;13(2):146. doi: 10.3390/antiox13020146. PMID: 38397744; PMCID: PMC10886237.

Gingivitis (Gum disease): Adámková H, Vicar J, Palasová J, Ulrichová J, Simánek V. Macleya cordata and Prunella vulgaris in oral hygiene products - their efficacy in the control of gingivitis. Biomed Pap Med Fac Univ Palacky Olomouc Czech Repub. 2004 Jul;148(1):103-5. doi: 10.5507/bp.2004.019. PMID: 15523557.

Goiter: Yang K, Guo KQ, Wu HY. [Clinical effect of Prunellae Oral Liquid on goiter with different thyroid function]. Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2007 Jan;27(1):37-9. Chinese. PMID: 17302062.

Hypertension (High Blood Pressure): Leng L, Li P, Liu R, Francis OB, Song S, Sui Y, Yang Y, Wang Y, Sun X, Miao R, Yuan Q, Li X, Yang W, Gao X, Wang Q. The main active components of Prunella vulgaris L. alleviate myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting oxidative stress and ferroptosis via the NRF2/GPX4 pathway. J Ethnopharmacol. 2025 Apr 9;345:119630. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2025.119630. Epub 2025 Mar 13. PMID: 40089199.

Hyperthyroidism (Overactive thyroid): Yang K, Guo KQ, Wu HY, Ye LX, Xia H. [Clinical effect of prunrllae oral solution in treating hyperthyrea]. Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2007 Aug;32(16):1706-8. Chinese. PMID: 18027674.

Inflammation: Bin SI, Lee MC, Kang SB, Moon YW, Yoon KH, Han SB, In Y, Chang CB, Bae KC, Sim JA, Seon JK, Park KK, Lee SJ, Kim YM. Efficacy and safety of SKCPT in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, active-controlled phase III clinical trial. J Ethnopharmacol. 2025 Jan 30;337(Pt 2):118843. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.118843. Epub 2024 Sep 18. PMID: 39303963.

Mastitis (Breast Infection): Luo H, Li Y, Xie J, Xu C, Zhang Z, Li M, Xia B, Shi Z, Lin L. Effect and mechanism of Prunella vulgaris L. extract on alleviating lipopolysaccharide-induced acute mastitis in protecting the blood-milk barrier and reducing inflammation. J Ethnopharmacol. 2024 Jun 28;328:117998. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.117998. Epub 2024 Mar 12. PMID: 38484956.

Osteoarthritis (Arthritis): Bin SI, Lee MC, Kang SB, Moon YW, Yoon KH, Han SB, In Y, Chang CB, Bae KC, Sim JA, Seon JK, Park KK, Lee SJ, Kim YM. Efficacy and safety of SKCPT in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, active-controlled phase III clinical trial. J Ethnopharmacol. 2025 Jan 30;337(Pt 2):118843. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.118843. Epub 2024 Sep 18. PMID: 39303963.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain (RA Pain): Song YW, Lee EY, Koh EM, Cha HS, Yoo B, Lee CK, Baek HJ, Kim HA, Suh Y 2nd, Kang SW, Lee YJ, Jung HG. Assessment of comparative pain relief and tolerability of SKI306X compared with celecoxib in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a 6-week, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, phase III, noninferiority clinical trial. Clin Ther. 2007 May;29(5):862-873. doi: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2007.05.006. PMID: 17697905.

Medicinal Actions:

Alterative, Antiarteriosclerotic, Antibacterial, Antihypertensive, Anti-Inflammatory, Antipyretic, Antiseptic, Antispasmodic, Antiviral, Astringent, Carminative, Diuretic, Febrifuge, Hepatic, Immunomodulator, Stomachic, Styptic, Tonic, Vermifuge, Vulnerary