Heal All (Prunella vulgaris).
Heal All (Prunella vulgaris) aka Self Heal is an aggressive low-growing perennial turf weed. Although not a major weed in Australia, it is difficult to control once it establishes. Self Heal has a creeping (stoloniferous) stem, and a shallow fibrous root system. It forms dense mats of dark green leaves in lawns.
Self Heal has a low growth habit, so you often don’t notice this weed until it is too late. The first signs that the weed is a problem, are hundreds of purple ‘pineapple-shaped’ flowers that appear to float over the turf.
If you don’t mow Heal All, it grows up to 30 cm tall. It is often present in wet areas, but also tolerates dry soils.
The distribution map for Self Heal is courtesy of The Atlas of Living Australia.
After you read this this, you will be able to:
- Identify Heal All or Self Heal.
- Know the habitat of Heal All or Self Heal.
- Know how to control Self Heal.
Key Takeaways.
- Although Heal All is a minor weed it is difficult to control once it gains a foothold.
- It reproduces by seed but also grows back from root fragments.
- High wear encourages this weed, because the stems root at the nodes at ground level.
- Cultural control alone does not deal with this weed.
- Stand alone herbicides aren’t effective against Self Heal. You get better control with 2 or 3-way mixes that contain 2,4-D, MCPA, and Dicamba.
How to Identify Heal All.
The immature stems of Self Heal are square and slightly hairy, and as the plant ages these become smooth. These creeping stems, root easily at the nodes, and result in an aggressive fibrous, matted root system.
Category: Broadleaf (Dicot).
Photosynthetic Pathway: Self Heal is a C3 Weed.
Flower: The flowers of Heal All are dark violet to purple and about 1 cm high. In the Spring, the weed begins to flower, and has tube-like flower clusters at the end of stems. Once it flowers, the seed head goes brown.
Height: It is a low growing weed, but can be up to 30 cm tall.
Leaf length: The leaves of Self Heal are wider at the base, and taper toward the end. They have a cover of short, coarse hairs.
Reproduction: This weed spreads by seed in the late Summer and Autumn. This restricts the growth of other plants, particularly grass in lawns.
Habitat: You often find this weed on roadsides, gardens, and lawns. It is a good indicator of high pH and neutral soils.
Comments: In closely mown turf, the leaves a stunted dark purple colour. When you look down at this weed from directly above, each set of leaves is rotated 90° from the previous set.
It is mistaken for:
- Deadnettle which tends to have purple leaves and
- Creeping Charlie.
The easy ways to identify Heal All are:
- When you look a the leaves they look like your skin after you have been swimming for a few hours. They have a “crinkled” appearance and
- Self Heal has a minty smell when you crush it.
Habitat: Self Heal thrives in moist, shaded, and well fertilized environments found in many lawns.
Self Heal is a good indicator weed for shade. For more information on weeds check out our weed ID Chart.
How to control Heal All.
You can control Self Heal by cultural and chemical means, but successful management of this weed is best if you adopt an integrated approach.
Cultural control of Heal All (Prunella vulgaris).
If you only rely on cultural means to control Self Heal, you will get at best mixed results. However the following may help.
- Hand weed. You will need to repeat this several times to keep Self Heal in check.
- Heal All (Prunella vulgaris) grows below normal heights of cut, and so will just pop back up after you mow. Aim to rake before you mow as it lifts the roots and vegetative material up above the canopy.
- Close mowing prevents seed head formation, and also maintains a dense canopy that prevents Self Heal from establishing.
- Maintain your turf in the best possible condition. Improve the growing conditions to encourage competitiveness of your turfgrass. This retards Heal All.
- Reduce any shade. This is important if you have a C4 grass like couch, so thin out trees etc.
- Make sure that you have the right grass type for your climate. For example a couch turf area benefits from overseeding with perennial ryegrass in cooler months. We can help with any turf seed selection.
- Reduce traffic if possible. Heavy traffic encourages Heal All because the stems will root at the nodes at ground level.
Chemical control of Heal All:
Its tolerance of many selective turf herbicides make this a problem weed, and the best results are with a mix of systemic herbicides. Repeat “hits” will be necessary.
The best time to treat Heal All is in the Autumn, and to repeat this in the Spring during peak bloom when the soil is still moist.
Self Heal is not an easy weed to control selectively in turf. It tends to regrow if you use MCPA, 2,4-D, clopyralid or triclopyr when you use these as stand-alone treatments.
Post emergents for Heal All should contain combinations of 2,4-D, MCPA, and Dicamba. Suitable options are:
- ProForce Warhead.
- ProForce Weed Blast or
- Contra M. You cannot use this on Buffalo grass as it contains Dicamba.
Non Selective Options for Heal All.
You can use Glyphosate as a non selective option to control Self Heal. If you use Glyphosate and water quality is an issue then use ProForce Manta Ray.
