Prunella vulgaris 'Magdalena'

Sizes available: HPP #1 (three plants per pot)

Basics: zones 3-9, 6"-8" x 12", full to part sun, bright purple flowers in early summer, then decorative dark maroon seedheads, adaptable but is naturally found in neutral to alkaline soils and is drought tolerant once established

Common names: Selfheal, Heal-all, Heart-of-the-earth, Carpenter's Herb, Woundwort, Brownwort, BlueCurls, in Kashmir it is known as Kayluth

Family: Lamiaceae

Origin/Distribution: The species P. vulgaris exists all over Maine in both a native and non-native form. How can that be?, you ask. Well, the plant is native to Europe, Asia, Africa, AND North America and has a long relationship with humans in numerous cultures. The non-native version could have travelled on purpose or inadvertently to Maine. It is also invasive in places such as Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii. This is a selected form of P. vulgaris developed and introduced by Brent Horvath of Intrinsic Perennials in 2018. It was selected out of a seedbed of open-pollinated seed from the parent P. vulgaris 'Under the Sea'. I chose to offer a cultivar so I could clearly say it is a non-native. Plus, it's stunning en masse and has all the good qualities of the species. 

Habitat: woodland edge, waste places, roadsides

More: The young leaves and stems of P. vulgaris are edible raw and the whole plant can be boiled and eaten as a spring green. Tea can be brewed from the leaves. It is a traditional Chinese medicine. It is also used medicinally in numerous other cultures

Nursery: Honey Petal Plants

Image credits: Honey Petal Plants, illustration from Wikimedia Commons