Self Heal

Flower

Self-heal has been used by Chinese Herbalists for generations. The dried seedheads are boiled in water to make a sweet smelling tea (decoction). This tea is drunk to "cool" the body down.

A perennial related to mint, this plant is a very effective low ground cover. The tiny flowers appear in the warmer months, and are borned on 4 sided racemes. It is very tolerant of wet soggy ground and will also thrive on very dry soils. This versatile plant can be a little weedy and its seedlings can commonly be found in the lawn.

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See also:  Food plants