Habitat and Range
Self-heal grows in a variety of habitats from shady woods to open subalpine meadows. It does particularly well in moist compacted soils. It can be found in all parts of the Sierra below 7500 ft. Self-heal blooms between May and September.
Physical Description
This herb grows up to 2 ft tall but certain subspecies grow prostrate and low to the ground. The stem is 4-sided, like all other mints, and slightly hairy. Also like the mint family, the leaves are opposite. Self-heal has lanceolate or elliptical leaves that are about 3 times longer than they are wide. The leaves are also 4-ranked as you can see in the picture above. This means that each node is oriented 90 degrees to the adjacent nodes. The terminal inflorescence is a spike-like whorl of purple flowers. Each flower is approximately one-half inch long.
Food Uses
The entire herb is edible and an interesting addition to salads. Although it is by no means a "choice" edible. It has more texture than taste and is best when young. Fresh or dried, the leaves make a mild but soothing tea.
Medicinal Uses
Self-heal (also referred to as "Heal-All") has been traditionally used as a remedy for nearly everything. It has potent qualities as a topical astringent and healing agent for surface wounds and burns. The tea reportedly helps control diarrhea and heal gastric ulcers.
NOTE: Self-heal contains a compound called ursolic acid, which is a diuretic and anti-tumor agent.
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