Self Heal - Prunella vulgaris - Hebrides Wildflowers

Self Heal - Hebrides Wildflowers
Native to Scotland and The UK - Self Heal - Prunella Vulgaris - Western Isles wildflowers.

Purple - Violet - Red Flowers
These lovely purple flowers are violet, purple usually and are in cylindrical whorls which form dense spikes with two leaves at the base

Self Heal is common in fields, meadows, and pastures. You can see it here on the Islands in the wet meadows and marshes.

The many shades of purple, violet, green and red make this a very attractive wildflower

Many Names
Self Heal has many common names attributed to it, Square stem, Thimble flower, Sickle-heal, Sicklewort, Slough-heal, Hookweed, Panay, Proud carpenter, Herb carpenter, Hercules' all-heal, Hook-heal, Carpenter's herb, Heart of the earth, Brunel, Caravaun bog, Carpenter grass, Blue curls, Brownwort, Heal-all, All-heal, Bumble-bees, Herb, Fly Flowers, Heart of the Earth, Hook-heal, London Bottles, Pick Pocket, Pimpernel, Prince's Feather.

Culinary Uses
This lovely plant The Self Heal - Prunella Vulgaris can be used in salads as can most herbs

Wildflowers - Self Heal - Prunella - Hebrides Flowers

Self Heal at Tolsta
Isle of Lewis - Western Isles Images

SElf Heal - Prunella Vulgaris - Western Isles Flora

Hebridean Wildflowers
Prunella - Self Heal

Self Heal - in the Tolsta Machair - Hebridean Wildflowers - Western Isles Flora

Self Heal Among The Machair
Tolsta - Isle of Lewis

Wildflower - Hebrides Photographs
Self Heal - Western Isles

Machair - Self Heal - Wildflowers - Western Isles

Self Heal in The Machair
Hebrides Wildflowers

Self Heal - Hebridean Wildflowers - Western Isles Flora

Western Isles Wildflowers
Images - Self Heal

Click pictures below for larger photographs

Vigorous Perennial Herb
The self heal or prunella plant is a perennial herb that is Incredibly vigorous and spreads by underground stems that shoot out in every direction once the first root is stuck in the ground. Self Heal grows up to 60 cm high. It has a thick dark green stem with a few broad leaves and purple-brown, blue-purple flowers. It flowers from May to September

Flower Blooms
When a flower blooms, the wind or movement cause the flower to fall out of the sepal pocket, which at that point looks much like a bulged open envelope

Heal All - Cure All - Antibiotic
The self heal plant is known as the heal-all and cure-all Plant as it is thought to have all manner of properties that can be of assistance in healing in general. Self-heal has a reputation for keeping people well during an outbreak of infectious diseases.

It is said t have an antibiotic effect. The plant is widely used in China - South America. In New Zealand it is used in ointments to heal stubborn cuts and bruises that wont heal on their own. In Ireland it is thought to be useful to treat heart complaints.

SElf Heal Amongst the Machair at Tolsta - Hebrides Wildflowers

Leaves - Hairy Plant
The leaves are lance shaped, serrated and reddish at tip, up to 2 ins in length, and 1/2 inch broad. The leaves grow on short stalks in opposite pairs down the square stem. The upper leaves are stalk less. The whole plant is more or less hairy

Flowers
The flowers are violet, purple usually and are in cylindrical whorls which form dense spikes with two leaves at the base. The calyx is reddish-purple, with the very small teeth fringed with a few hairs. There are two kidney-shaped, or egg-shaped to heart-shaped, broad, long pointed bracts below each whorl which are fringed with hairs and green with purple edges..

Insects and Bees
The self heal plant is visited by many insects particularly bees.

Mint Family
Prunella vulgaris - Self Heal is a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae)

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