1 of 3 wound herbs on our living wall - also has immune system enhancing compounds!

One of the three plants that can be foraged from grassy areas to treat cuts and wounds, the other two being Yarrow and Plantain. All three do the same healing work but using different chemical compounds: they stop bleeding, disinfect the wound, and speed up the healing process.

Selfheal is also a source of polysaccharides, which normally crop up in fungi, not plants – they are immunomodulators, meaning they calm the immune system if it's overactive (as in allergies or autoimmune conditions) or boost it, depending on what is needed.

Use the leaves in salad or to make tea – they are known to reduce blood pressure. The purple flowers in the summer make it easy to spot, so you can discover your local patches of selfheal by keeping an eye out for these. They are full of nectar to feed butterflies, bees, and wasps, and these, in turn, pollinate the flowers.