Purple Loveliness Selfheal

Purple Loveliness Selfheal (Prunella grandiflora 'Purple Loveliness') is a low spreading perennial for the front of a bed, reaching only 30cm tall and about 40cm across. Short spikes of deep purple flowers stand above a dense mat of foliage through spring and summer, and bees work them steadily. Planted 30cm apart it knits into a soft flowering groundcover that holds soil and keeps weeds down.

Why you'll love it

• Colour at ground level. Purple flower spikes carry for months over a low mat, filling the gap between paving, rocks and taller planting.
• A magnet for bees and butterflies. The tubular flowers are a genuine nectar source, which makes it a useful edging plant near a vegetable patch.
• Pet friendly. Not toxic to cats or dogs, so it can be used along a path or lawn edge without a second thought.
• Handles cold and wet. Frost hardy, tolerant of poor soil and unbothered by ground that stays damp, which is unusual in a flowering groundcover.

Where it works best

Groundcover and mass planting. Plant 30cm apart, which is about eleven plants per square metre. At that density the mat closes over one growing season and there is little bare soil for weeds.

Borders and edging. Use it as a low front row where a taller edging plant would block the view of the bed behind it.

Rockeries. It spreads over and between stones without swamping them, and it takes the reflected warmth of a rock face as long as the soil below stays moist.

Growing Purple Loveliness Selfheal in Australia

Position and climate. This is a plant for cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens. Full sun suits the cooler ones, but in hot dry inland or northern summers give it afternoon shade, or it will scorch and stall.

Soil. Not fussy, and content in poor ground. It prefers soil that holds moisture and will accept periodic wet feet, which makes it useful in low spots where other groundcovers rot.

Water and feed. Keep it moist through the first summer and water in dry spells after that, since it is more drought sensitive than most groundcovers. A light feed of complete fertiliser in early spring is plenty.

Pruning. Shear off spent flower spikes to bring on a second flush and keep the mat tidy. Cut the whole planting back in late winter, and lift and divide congested clumps every three years.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown as tube stock, the right format for a plant used in numbers. Tubes arrive as small rooted plants with a rosette of leaves rather than in flower, and they establish quickly in cool moist conditions. Expect the first flowers in the season after planting.

Soft foliage may look flattened after transit and recovers within a week or two. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Plant into prepared weed free soil and water in well, and you should have closed cover by the end of the first season, backed by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the wider groundcover range.
• Read our guide to choosing the right groundcover.
• See more plants for rockeries.
• Compare other plants that are safe around pets.

Common questions

How many plants do I need?

About eleven per square metre at 30cm spacing. Go wider only if you are happy to weed between them for a second season.

Can I walk on it?

It takes occasional footfall between steppers but it is not a lawn substitute. Regular traffic flattens the crowns and the flowering suffers.

Will it survive a hot dry summer?

Only with help. Give it afternoon shade and consistent water in hot inland gardens, and choose a tougher groundcover if the site bakes and cannot be irrigated.

Does it spread where I do not want it?

It creeps slowly outward from the crown rather than running, so it stays where you put it. Trim the edges once a year to hold a clean line.