- Type
- Herbs & Aromatics
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Season
- Spring·Summer
- Sowing
- From seed
Self-heal
Prunella vulgaris var. lilacina
Rosmarinic acid · flower spikes dried for tea
Self-heal is a perennial that raises dense spikes of purple, lipped flowers from May along sunny banks and in flower beds. Pull a floret and suck the base and a drop of sweetness comes, which is how it got its Korean name, kkulpul, honey grass. By early summer the spikes stand brown and dry on the stem, and that is the picture behind the Chinese name hagocho, summer-withered herb. The Donguibogam sets down a cold nature, a bitter and pungent taste and no toxicity, then records that it grows everywhere, that it withers in the fifth lunar month, and that it is therefore gathered in the fourth lunar month and dried in the shade. The original says the flowers are white in spring, which does not match the purple-flowered species Koreans call kkulpul, so the identification has to be read with care. Today the spikes are cut while the purple still holds, dried in the shade and steeped as a flower tea. As befits a mint-family plant, analyses report phenolic acids such as rosmarinic acid. Seed drops and spreads on its own, so cutting the spikes after flowering is the way to hold its place in a bed.
Year-Round Calendar
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Where It Grows
- Main producer In Anhui, Henan and Zhejiang, wild collection and cultivation go on side by side, and the volume is the largest.
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Wild population
It grows on sunny banks and in the grassy slopes at the foot of hills nationwide. Harvest May, June
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- Wild population It grows in grassland and on roadside banks in every region.
The type variety of the genus Prunella grows right across the temperate Northern Hemisphere, through Europe, Asia and North America, but the plant handled in Korea, China and Japan is the East Asian variety (var. lilacina). In the remaining countries it is not gathered for use but is simply grassland weed, so those have not been included here.
- Optimum
- 15~25℃
- Range
- 5~30℃
- Hardiness
- Hardy
A perennial that grows on sunny banks and in the grassy slopes at the foot of hills. It passes the winter by its roots and creeping stems and stands up well to cold. Flower spikes rise in May–June, and when the summer heat arrives the spikes dry to brown and remain standing just as they are; the Chinese-character name hagocho, meaning "summer-withering herb," comes from that sight. It is not particular about soil, but it does poorly in spots where water collects.
In Korea Nationwide
It grows on sunny banks and hill slopes nationwide. Young shoots are picked in March–April, and the flower spikes are cut stem and all in May–June, while the purple colour still lingers, then dried in the shade.
How to grow
- Light
- Five or six hours of sun a day. In shade the spikes come up sparse
- Soil and depth
- Undemanding as long as drainage is good. 20cm of depth is enough, and it does well in a pot
- Spacing
- 20 to 30cm between plants. Creeping stems fill the gaps within a few seasons
- Watering
- Water when the surface dries. Once rooted it needs attention only through a summer drought
- Feeding
- A thin layer of compost once in spring is plenty. Rich feeding makes the stems stretch and flop
- Harvest
- May and June. Cut the whole stem while purple still holds in the spike and spread it to dry in the shade. Young shoots come earlier, in March and April, before the flower stem rises. The original records gathering in the fourth lunar month
What makes the difference. Cut back to about 5cm above the base after flowering and fresh leaves follow, keeping the plant going into autumn
Why this one is harder. Seed drops and creeping stems run, so within a few seasons it crosses into other parts of the bed. Cutting the spikes before they brown off and set seed is what keeps it where it was planted
Common problems
- Powdery mildew You will see Floury white patches on the upper leaf surface after the rainy season What to do Thin the clumps to open an air path and clear away affected leaves. Water in the morning, at the soil only
- Aphids You will see Colonies on flower stems and young leaves, turning sticky What to do Wash off with a jet of water; if it recurs, use an egg-yolk oil spray. On plants whose spikes go into tea, strip them by hand and use no spray
- Slugs You will see Holes in young leaves and silver trails left overnight What to do Pick them off in the evening or ring the pot with coffee grounds. Clear leaf litter to remove their hiding places
This page describes how a crop is grown and used. It does not claim health effects for any food, nor is it intended to prevent or treat disease. Component and study notes are references only and do not mean the same result occurs in people. Consult a medical professional about health concerns.
Health Benefits
The old record — hagocho (夏枯草). The Donguibogam lists the plant in the Herb section as Hagocho ("summer-withering herb") and records the Korean name as kkulpul. Its nature is set down as cold, its taste as bitter and pungent, and it is described as having no toxicity. The text records that it grows everywhere, comes up in winter without withering, flowers white in spring and dries off by the fifth lunar month, and that it is therefore gathered in the fourth lunar month and dried in the shade. It also explains the name from the habit of withering as summer arrives. The white flowers of the original, however, do not match the purple-flowered species Koreans call kkulpul today, so the identification cannot be settled. What an old medical text wrote differs from how it is judged today.
Two names, two observations. The Chinese name hagocho comes from the habit of withering in summer; the Korean name kkulpul comes from the drop of sweetness at the base of the floret. One name records when the plant dies back, the other how it tastes, and the original sets both down side by side.
Compounds reported in the aerial parts. Phenolic acids such as rosmarinic acid, ursolic-type triterpenes and flavonoid glycosides have been isolated from the aerial parts in repeated analyses. The same work reports that levels vary with the time of gathering. These are compositional analyses and nothing beyond that.
Nutrition
- Rosmarinic acid (commonly reported across the mint family) — a phenolic acid found in leaves and flower spikes
- Ursolic acid (isolated from the aerial parts) — a triterpene-type compound
- Flavonoids (discussed alongside the spike colour) — glycosides such as rutin and hyperoside
Cut them while purple Spikes destined for tea are cut while the purple still holds. Once they have browned off, the aroma is gone and the brewed colour is dull. Cut them, spread them to dry in the shade, then seal them and keep them somewhere cool.
Rosmarinic acid Rosmarinic acid is the phenolic acid commonly reported across the mint family, and analyses confirm it in self-heal. It is the same compound discussed in shiso and Korean mint. This entry stays with the compositional record.
Young shoots as a namul In early spring, before the flower stem rises, the young shoots are blanched and dressed as a namul. They carry a light bitterness, so blanch, rinse cold and squeeze out the water. After flowering the leaves toughen and are no longer used.
Temperature and steeping time Use a pinch of dried spikes and water taken just off the boil, steeped three to five minutes. Left longer, bitterness comes forward. A second pour still holds colour and scent.
Pairings
○ On its own — Dried spikes alone, steeped briefly, leave a mild grassy note and a faint sweetness. In a glass pot you can watch the colour release from the spikes. Add sugar or honey only after steeping.
○ Blended with chrysanthemum or jujube — A little dried chrysanthemum or thinly sliced jujube rounds off the finish. Slice the jujube thin so it releases within a short steep. Put everything in together and keep the steep short. Gamguk (Indian Chrysanthemum)
○ Spring shoots as a namul — Dress the blanched young shoots with doenjang or perilla oil. The gentle bitterness suits a table of spring greens. A light hand with seasoning keeps the vegetable in front.
△ Flowers from ornamental nursery stock — Ground-cover plugs from a garden centre are often treated with pesticide before sale, so their first season of spikes should not go into tea. Grow your own from seed for eating, or buy stock labelled for culinary use. Skip the harvest entirely from any bed that has been sprayed with herbicide that year.
△ Do not pick on leaves alone — Before flowering, the leaves alone will not settle the species. The mint-family markers are a square stem and opposite leaves, and self-heal adds dense spikes of purple lipped flowers. The reliable route is to note where it flowers and return to that spot for young shoots the following spring. If you are not certain, do not pick.
△ Not for long, strong, daily decoctions — The original itself records a cold nature. Keep it to a short steep as a flower tea rather than boiling it down like a herbal decoction and drinking several cups every day. If you are pregnant or take medication regularly, tell your clinician what teas you drink and how much.
Varieties
- Purple-flowered self-heal (seed) — The standard line seen in Korean fields and flower beds, with purple spikes
- White-flowered form (seed) — A white-flowered variant that turns up rarely within the same species
- Western self-heal lines (plug) — Ornamental introductions in a range of flower colours and heights, planted as ground cover
Source: Donguibogam, Herb Section 夏枯草 · Rural Development Administration (Nongsaro) · Korea National Arboretum