How to Grow Prunella Flowers

About Growing Prunella Plants in Your Home Flower Garden

Looking for a pretty and easy to grow, flowering ground cover? Growing Prunellas is the answer for you! Native to Europe, perennial Prunella is a low-growing, drought-tolerant plant that attracts pollinators. Songbirds and other backyard birds love the seeds, too. And, they are prolific re-seeders. Prunella flowers are actually classified as an herb.

All parts of the Prunella plant are edible. The leaves are used most often. Use the leaves raw, cooked, or dried. Older leaves can become somewhat bitter, especially in hot, dry weather.

Try Prunella leaves in soups, stews, and salads. You can use it in a cold beverage.

Also, Prunella plants are medicinal herbs (see below)!

Flowers Bloom: Summer to early Fall.

Flower Colors: Lavender, pink, purple, and white.

Plant Height: 8″ – 12″

Other Plant Names: It is commonly known as “Self Heal” It earned this name for its many medicinal uses.

Perennial, Prunella Grandiflora

Medicinal Uses for Prunella Plants

Prunella is used for a seemingly endless list of ailments, both external and internal.

Externally, it is used to treat wounds, for cold sores, mouth ulcers, and toe fungus.

Internally, Prunella treats diarrhea, bloating, and internal bleeding.

Note: This is only a partial list.

Perennial Prunella Plant Propagation

Prunella plants are grown from seeds. The seeds should be “Chilled” first in the refrigerator. Put them in the refrigerator for 4-6 weeks. When planting, do not cover Prunella seeds. They need light to germinate. The ideal soil temperature for seed germination is 70 – 75 degrees. For faster and more successful germination, we recommend using a heated germination mat.

Days to Germination: 15-20 days.

Prunella will also propagate from rooting the creeping stems. The plant will readily root at each node where the stem touches the moist ground.

Also, you can divide and replant clumps in the spring, or early fall.

How to Grow Prunella Flower Plants

Prunella plants are easy to grow. They grow well in almost any soil that drains well.

The plants prefer full to partial sunlight.

Prunella does not need a lot of fertilizer. Mix in compost when first planting. Apply a general-purpose fertilizer in the early spring, and again in mid-summer.

Prunella flowers are drought tolerant. However, they grow best if you keep the soil moist, but not wet.

Pinch back the growing tips when the plants are young, to promote bushier growth.

Deadhead spent blooms to prolong the blooming period.

Plant Spacing: 12″

Ideal Soil pH: 6.0 – 7.5.

Insects and Plant Disease

Prunella plants are seldom bothered by insects and disease. Generally, these plants do not need insecticides or fungicides.

However, on the rare occasion where insects or diseases are a problem, treat them with insecticidal soap and /or fungicide at the earliest sign of trouble.