Common Self-heal

Year-round

Heal-all is a low, spreading perennial that likes sun to part shade and moist soil. In Dallas-Fort Worth it does best with some afternoon shade and regular water in dry spells.

• Choose sun to part shade, with afternoon shade in hot spots
• Keep soil moist, not soggy
• Works in both clay and sandier soil if you add compost
• Cut back after flowering to keep it neat

It spreads as a low groundcover, so edge it to keep beds looking tidy.

Fall

Fall is a good time to divide or move clumps. Blooms wind down as nights cool.

• Divide or transplant early in fall
• Water new divisions until they settle
• Trim back tired stems

Winter

In winter the plant rests and may die back in a hard freeze. It returns from the roots in spring.

• Water only in long dry spells
• Leave dead stems until early spring if you like
• Keep a thin mulch layer

Spring

Spring is when new growth fills in. Water as leaves come up and thin any crowded patches.

• Water when the top inch of soil is dry
• Pull or divide extra spread to keep it in bounds
• Add a light layer of compost

Summer

Flowers appear from about May through September. Summer heat means more frequent watering.

• Water deeply once or twice a week in heat
• Give afternoon shade in the sunniest spots
• Trim spent flower spikes to tidy the patch
• Mulch to hold moisture

Year-round

Heal-all is native to Tennessee and a tough, low-growing perennial that thrives with little care in the Memphis area's clay soils.

• Plant in full sun to part shade, giving afternoon shade in the hottest spots
• Tolerates clay, loam, and sandy soils and a wide pH range
• Keep soil consistently moist through the first year to get it established
• Once established it handles short dry spells without extra watering
• Mow or shear after bloom if you want a tidier, lower mat instead of taller flower spikes

Kept mowed or edged, this low native groundcover reads as an intentional, HOA-friendly lawn alternative rather than a weed patch.

Fall

Bloom tapers off as days shorten, and foliage generally persists low to the ground into the cooler part of fall in the Memphis area.

• Let remaining flower spikes finish before the average first fall frost in late October
• Cut back spent stems if seed spread is a concern in a shared bed
• Continue light watering only if fall stays dry
• Good time to divide and transplant excess growth

Winter

Heal-all stays low and semi-evergreen through the Memphis area's mild zone 7b to 8a winters, needing essentially no care.

• Leave the low foliage mat in place, it holds up through typical winter lows here
• No watering needed during dormancy unless winter turns unusually dry
• Clear fallen leaves off the crown so it isn't smothered
• Plan any bed edits for early spring instead of mid-winter

Spring

Growth resumes quickly once nights warm past the Memphis area's average last frost in early April, ahead of its May bloom start.

• Clear away winter debris so new rosettes get light
• Keep new growth watered if spring turns dry
• Divide or transplant clumps now if you want to spread the patch
• No fertilizer needed in typical garden soil

Summer

This is peak bloom time through Memphis's hot, humid stretch, and the plant spreads readily if conditions stay moist and warm.

• Water during extended dry heat, especially in part shade sites that dry out slower but stress under drought
• Shear after flowering to control spread, it can become weedy in damp turf and beds
• Watch for it creeping into lawn areas and edge as needed to keep it in bounds
• Deadhead if you prefer a neater look, though pollinators use the flower spikes while blooming

Edge the bed line regularly in summer so the planting stays inside its intended border and reads as maintained.

Year-round

Heal-all is a low, spreading perennial that likes sun to part shade and moist soil. In Dallas-Fort Worth it does best with some afternoon shade and regular water in dry spells.

• Choose sun to part shade, with afternoon shade in hot spots
• Keep soil moist, not soggy
• Works in both clay and sandier soil if you add compost
• Cut back after flowering to keep it neat

It spreads as a low groundcover, so edge it to keep beds looking tidy.

Fall

Fall is a good time to divide or move clumps. Blooms wind down as nights cool.

• Divide or transplant early in fall
• Water new divisions until they settle
• Trim back tired stems

Winter

In winter the plant rests and may die back in a hard freeze. It returns from the roots in spring.

• Water only in long dry spells
• Leave dead stems until early spring if you like
• Keep a thin mulch layer

Spring

Spring is when new growth fills in. Water as leaves come up and thin any crowded patches.

• Water when the top inch of soil is dry
• Pull or divide extra spread to keep it in bounds
• Add a light layer of compost

Summer

Flowers appear from about May through September. Summer heat means more frequent watering.

• Water deeply once or twice a week in heat
• Give afternoon shade in the sunniest spots
• Trim spent flower spikes to tidy the patch
• Mulch to hold moisture