Botanical name: Prunella vulgaris
Folk names: Carpenter’s herb, sticklewort

Type: Perennial

Wildlife: Nectar attractive to both bees and butterflies.

Flowers: June to September

Decorative merit: Purple-blue flowers on short stems 10-30cm height, providing ground cover.

Where: Borders where you are happy for it to spread and for flowering lawns where it can tolerate mowing. Can tolerate some shade.

Folklore: Long treasured for its healing properties and ability to staunch wounds.

Aster family relative of yarrow