Prunella grandiflora

‘Alba’

WHITE SELF HEAL

Prunella grandiflora ‘Alba’
WHITE SELF HEAL

Prunella grandiflora ‘Alba’ is a thoroughly useful, and downright pretty groundcover.

Thoroughly useful, and downright pretty groundcover

White Self Heal forms a dense mat of weed-smothering foliage, topped with soldier spikes of pure white flowers.
With repeating flushes of flowers through summer and autumn.

Weed smothering carpet

Because the foliage of Prunella grandiflora ‘Alba’ grows flat to the ground and the leaves interlock so tightly – it is very successful at blocking out emerging weeds.

Time honoured companion plant for roses

Prunella has long been valued as a companion to plant underneath roses, and help protect them from attack by Black-Spot disease.
It does help – Because the dense, interlocking foliage growth acts to block the spores of Black-Spot disease splashing up from the soil surface where it lurks.
Companion Prunella also of course helps to smother out weeds.

Pretty soft edging plant

White Self Heal makes such a pretty edging plant, to help soften the edges of paths and garden beds.
It will spill over a rock edge like a flow of water, and creep out onto a gravel path softly.
And can also take light foot and a mow over without flinching.

Fortunately Prunella is an easy & unfussy grower

Prunella grandiflora ‘Alba’ is a “No-Fuss” groundcover.
It will grow in either full sun or partly shaded positions.
So it is perfectly able to carpet in the shade under roses and taller bushes, as well as coming out into the full sun between them.

Copes with a wide range of soils

White Self-Heal copes with a wide range of soils, from sandy, through garden loam, to heavier clay soils. And can even cope with heavier, wet soils.
It also enjoys the same lime that the roses relish.
It is water-wise and water-thrifty, though it does not enjoy drying completely out for long periods.

Frost hardy

Prunella grandiflora ‘Alba’ is very frost hardy, and can cope with temperatures down to at least -20C.

Tasty edible plant

The young leaves are delicious tossed into a salad.
Or cooked in stews, casseroles and stir-fries.

Nectar & pollen rich flowers for bees & pollinators

Bees, butterflies, pollinators, and even small native honey-eating birds delight in working the flowers for their abundance of pollen and nectar

Unpalatable to rabbits & deer 

One of the joys in having Prunella grandiflora ‘Alba’ as a groundcover – is that rabbits and deer find the flavour unpalatable. May they long go hungry.

Ancient medicinal herb

Prunella grandiflora has been used in traditional village medicine for a wide range of treatments.
Particularly as a tea for soothing sore throats, tackling inflammation, and as an antiseptic for packing wounds.

Evergreen, perennial groundcover

20cm. High flower spikes, sitting above a flat carpet of foliage.
Each plant forms a dense carpet approx. 60cm across.

SEED SOWING ADVICE: QUICK & EASY
Suits beginners & gardening with kids

Prunella grandiflora ‘Alba’ seeds are very quick and easy to germinate.

They can be sown indoors year round, whenever suitable temperatures can be provided.
OR
They can be scattered directly in the garden where they are to grow. 

Sow indoors for rapid & maximum germination: First sow the Prunella grandiflora ‘Alba’ seeds on the surface good quality seed raising mix.
Then gently pat the seeds on the surface of the mix to ensure good contact.
And only very lightly sprinkle with sieved seed mix, as these seeds germinate better with light.

Now soak the sown punnet in a shallow water bath, so the moisture percolates up from below through to the surface of the mix.

Then place in a warm, well lit place (not in any direct sunlight), or place on a heat mat.
Temperatures of 18-21 degrees C are best for rapid and optimum germination.

Continue to keep consistently moist by misting from a water-spray bottle.
And covering with a clear lid or plastic bag will also help to maintain consistent moisture.

Seeds germinate in 14 to 21 days approx.

Pot on seedlings to harden off and mature before finally planting out in the garden.

Seed Count: 15 seeds per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the seed count and give a generous serve)

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