Prunella vulgaris / XIA KU CAO / Self-Heal Herb

Botanical Name – Prunella vulgaris

Chinese Name – XIA KU CAO

English Name – Self-Heal Herb

Prunella vulgaris commonly known as self-heal, heal-all, woundwort, heart-of-the-earth, carpenter’s herb, brownwort and blue curls, is a herbaceous plant in the genus Prunella.

Prunella vulgaris grows 5 to 30 cm high, with creeping, self-rooting, tough, square, reddish stems branching at leaf axis. It grows on Roadsides, gardens and waste-places, Woodland edges, and usually in basic and neutral soils.

It can be found throughout Europe, Asia and North America, as well as most temperate climates. In Ireland it is generally abundant.