Prunella flowers (Prunella vulgaris) are also known as self heal, named after the folk medicine use of these herbs. This member of the mint family grows low to the ground and tolerates mowing, so it can be used as a lawn substitute. The small blossoms on the flower heads attract honeybees and butterflies to the garden.
This North American native perennial grows wild throughout the West with a range stretching from Alaska through Southern California, in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 9. Prunella flowers form colonies near moist areas, such as streams and riverbanks. Prunella can also be found in red fir forests and mountain meadow areas.
In mild winter climates without freezing temperatures, the gray-green plants grow as evergreens. Spikes filled with tiny jewel-toned purple blossoms top square stems with lance-shaped leaves and appear in the spring, with the blooms lasting until the end of summer. The small blossoms are made up of double-lipped flowers that create rows running around the outside of the spike. During the summer, this perennial reaches 8 to 24 inches high depending on the growing conditions.
Prunella flowers prefer full to part-sun locations. When grown in a very hot area, they benefit from afternoon shade. In moist soil, these flowers slowly spread to form colonies. Even through it does not like wet soil, prunella survives short periods of seasonal flooding. This is one flower that is not fussy about soil type: Prunella adapts to nearly any soil type, including sandy, volcanic and clay soils.
Prunella colonies are propagated through stolons -- above-ground shoots -- as well as plant division and seeds. Stolons produce a larger plant faster than seed propagation, with new plants sprouting wherever the stolons touch the soil. Seeds are sown directly in the garden in late fall or early spring. They can also be started in a greenhouse or cold frame eight weeks before the last spring frost. Sprinkle the seeds on the soil and lightly cover with compost. In two to three weeks, tiny sprouts appear. After eight weeks, the seedlings have grown large enough to handle and transplant outside in their permanent location.