Pink Loveliness Selfheal

Pink Loveliness Selfheal (Prunella grandiflora 'Pink Loveliness') is a low spreading perennial that carries upright spikes of soft pink flowers over a dense green mat. It reaches about 30cm tall and 40cm wide, spreads steadily without becoming a nuisance, and keeps performing in ground that stays damp.

Why you'll love it

• A long flowering season. Upright pink spikes from late spring through summer, held clear of the foliage so the colour reads from across the garden.
• A mat that suppresses weeds. Growth is dense and low, so a planting at the right spacing closes over and keeps weed pressure down without herbicide.
• It tolerates damp ground. Wet feet tolerant and humidity tolerant, so damp corners are fair game.
• Bees and butterflies. The spikes are worked constantly through summer, so it pulls real weight in a pollinator planting.

Where it works best

Groundcover and mass planting. Plant 30cm apart for a spreading groundcover. Expect full cover across one to two seasons.

Borders and edging. It holds a tidy 30cm along a path or the front of a bed and does not flop outwards.

Rockeries and damp corners. Good in a cool pocket of a rockery, at the base of a retaining wall, or in a low area of lawn that stays wet after rain.

Growing Pink Loveliness Selfheal in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun through to part shade. In hot inland gardens afternoon shade keeps the foliage fresh and extends the flowering. It suits cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens and is frost hardy, so cold districts present no problem.

Soil. Any reasonable garden soil improved with organic matter. It copes with heavier soils and ground that holds moisture, though it will not survive standing water.

Water and feed. Water twice a week for the first month, then weekly through summer. It prefers steady moisture to long dry spells, and a light spring feed of complete fertiliser is all it needs.

Pruning. Shear the spent flower spikes off in late summer to tidy the mat and encourage a second showing. Lift and divide clumps every three or four years in autumn to keep them vigorous.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in one size, tube stock. Tubes are young plants with a small root system, and for a groundcover that is the sensible way to buy. They establish fast, spread from the crown, and cost far less across the area a groundcover has to cover.

Plant into prepared, weed free soil and water in well, because weeds coming up through an establishing mat are difficult to remove later. Expect visible spread within six to eight weeks in the growing season. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full groundcover range for the rest of the bed.
• Compare options in our guide to ground cover plants.
• See other rockery plants for cool, low pockets.
• Add companions from our bee and butterfly plants.

Common questions

How many plants do I need per square metre?

Eleven at 30cm centres gives full cover within two seasons. Stretching to 40cm still works, it just leaves bare soil for longer and means more weeding.

Will it spread where I do not want it?

It creeps outwards from the crown rather than running underground, and the roots are shallow, so unwanted growth pulls out by hand. Edge a bed properly and it stays where you put it.

Can I walk on it?

Light, occasional foot traffic is fine, such as stepping through a bed to reach a tap. It is not a lawn substitute and regular traffic will open gaps in the mat.

Does it die back over winter?

In cold gardens the top growth dies down and reshoots from the crown in spring. In milder climates it stays evergreen and simply stops flowering through the coldest months.