Appearance

Appearance

Square stems carry opposite leaves and a dense terminal spike of purple, pink, or occasionally white two-lipped flowers.

Growth form

This perennial grows about 4–20 in (10–50 cm) tall and may be upright, spreading, or reclining.

Flowering time

In the Pacific Northwest, flowering and fruiting are recorded from May through September; timing varies elsewhere in the United States.

Fruit

Each flower produces four small nutlets.

Look-alikes

Where it lives

Typical habitats

• lawns
• moist meadows
• roadsides
• forest edges

Range

The species occurs across much of the United States. Subspecies lanceolata is native to North America, while subspecies vulgaris was introduced from Eurasia and is now naturalized across much of the same range.

Preferred conditions

It grows from low to middle elevations in moist, often disturbed places and tolerates moderate shade.

Flowering

Flowers May–Sep

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Flowers

Flowers May–Sep

Life cycle

Seed dispersal

The tiny seeds disperse soon after they ripen in fall.

Growing it

Care

It can be grown from seed in moist soil and is used in some pollinator plantings, but it can spread into nearby cultivated ground.

Propagation

Plants can be started from seed; creeping stems can also root and widen a patch.

Connected species

Pollinators

The flowers attract pollinating insects.

Pollinators

• bumblebeesBombus

  In the Pacific Northwest, bumblebees visit the native lance selfheal for nectar and pollen.

Name and classification

About the name

In North America, native lance selfheal (subspecies lanceolata) usually has narrower mid-stem leaves and grows more upright than the introduced Eurasian subspecies (subspecies vulgaris).

Conservation

IUCN Red List

LCLeast Concern·Low risk of extinction