Plants and Food
(If you wish to act on any of the information on this website, you must consult with a healthcare professional. Do not try to be your own doctor)
Once we have tasted this wildness, we begin to hunger for a food long denied us, and the more we eat of it the more we will awaken. - - Stephen Harrod Buhner
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Prunella vulgaris
Plant Name: Prunella vulgaris
Common Name: SELF HEAL
Family: Lamiaceae (Mint family)
Status in Hawai'i: Alien. Low to moderate pest factor.
Where it grows in Hawai'i: Upcountry in damp shady areas.
Part Used: Flowering tops.
Uses:
* Prunella vulgaris is used as medicine all over the world, from Shanghai to Scotland.
* A tea of the flowers is gargled or taken internally for sore throats. native American tribes used self heal for fever, or digestive disturbances.
* As an anti-bacterial herb, self heal has been used topically for sores, wounds, and ulcers. It is also used as a poultice for sprains and strains.
* In China, Prunella vulgaris is known as xia ku cao and is used for headache, eye pain, high blood pressure, and nodules and swollen glands, especially in the neck.
* Certain Druid sects gather self heal when the dog star (Sirius) is rising as night. It has been associated with the planet Venus.
Cautions: Take care with weak digestion. Do not take with blood thinners.
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Much of this information is through the grace oand kindness of my
Hawaiian and Chinese teachers and my gratitude goes out to
them. Any errors are mine alone.
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