It’s no secret that I like wildflowers, but occasionally my affections are tested.
Self-heal is a perennial with pretty pink (sometimes purple) flowers. It’s tough as nails. It thrives in moist meadows & dry roadsides alike. It thrives so well that it’s pretty much worn out its welcome in my garden. I always weed it out of formal beds and usually remove it from the rockery, in favor of plants I prefer.
But I feel torn.
- Indigenous Peoples and cultures around the world have made good use of self-heal.
- Bees & butterflies love the flowers.
- Birds eat the seeds.
- Deer nibble at the leaves without over-grazing.
Just because it self-sows willy-nilly, should I really be so judgmental?
A neighbor welcomes self-heal into her garden. I can appreciate it there, but I’m not the one working to keep it from out-competing her other plants. Lazy me.
Self-heal has established itself in C’s lawn. It seems to hold its own beside the grass, clover, wild violets and English daisies. It survives the mower and the foot traffic. I’m rather pleased that C’s monoculture ‘lawn’ is becoming more of a diversified ‘meadow’. I’m just fine with enjoying the self-heal in this space, too.
Perhaps this balances out barring it from the garden beds & borders?
Is it enough?
Am I redeemed?
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Other plants that might be considered ‘weeds’:
Garden Variety Life 