Some scold them as weeds, others celebrate them as medicinal herbs: the common brownelle. The fact is that the little meadow flower can do a lot, apart from being a nuisance in the lawn. This applies not only to their healing properties, but also to their decorative purposes.
The small prunella (Prunella vulgaris) already attracts attention with its stubborn inflorescences. When closed, its scaly buds are reminiscent of hops. However, as soon as the lively blossoms open during the blossoming period from June to October, the buds transform into bright blue-violet labiate blossoms that look incredibly decorative on the meadow.
Despite its ornamental value, Prunella vulgaris is often defined as a weed. The reason for this is the vigorous nature of the wildflower, because it quickly forms above-ground runners that can spread slightly carpet-like and up to 80 cm wide at the location. An undesirable quality for lawn owners. For lovers of natural ambience in the garden, as well as for herbalists, rather to get over.
Lesser prunella as a medicinal herb
Basically, the common prunella is an old medicinal and aromatic herb that has been used as such in Europe since the Middle Ages at the latest. Even then, well-known healers such as the Italian doctor and botanist Pietro Andrea Mattioli praised the healing properties of prunella water or prunella wine against diphtheria. At the time, the disease was also known as tanning disease because it left a brownish-yellow coating on the tonsils. As a useful medicinal herb against this disease-related “almond tan”, the prunella ultimately also got its German name.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), on the other hand, Prunella vulgaris is known as Xia Ku Cao. Here, too, the medicinal plant has been in use since antiquity, but rather against eye inflammation and thyroid diseases. For this purpose, TCM uses the flowers of the small prunus, which is also common for pruning wine. In contrast, the leaves of the plant are interesting for the production of brownella water. All in all, Little Braunelle can help with the following he alth problems:
+ Angina
+ Hypertension
+ Sore throat
+ Skinand inflammation of the mucous membranes
+ gastrointestinal complaints+ Menstrual Cramps
+ Menopausal Cramps
+ Wounds and Injuries
+ Worm and Parasitic Infestations
By the way: As a herb, common brownelle is also used in folk cooking. Whether soups, stews, mashed potatoes, pesto, cream cheese, herb quark or herb butter - there are many possible uses. The herb is also often combined with other wild herbs such as ground ivy, chives, parsley or sorrel.
There is a reason why Prunella vulgaris is so effective against inflammation and infection. Because the plant contains large amounts of vegetable tannins (so-called tannins). Tanning agents got their name because they are still used today for tanning and thus for disinfecting leather. And the disinfecting tannins have always been used medicinally to treat infections and inflammatory processes.
There are other healing ingredients in the Little Brownelle. For example, their bitter substances have a digestive effect and help with digestive problems such as flatulence or stomach weakness. The ß-sitosterol in Prunella vulgaris is also a valuable plant hormone that is often used in gynecology to treat menopausal symptoms. The small prunella has a great medicinal effect.
Small brownelle in the garden
Needless to say, the Lesser Accentor is a popular plant in numerous apothecary and herb gardens. However, there are many more beautiful planting ideas for the supposed weeds. After all, Prunella vulgaris, in addition to West Asia, is native to the whole of Europe and is therefore also an integral part of the natural flora in this country.
It is particularly common on lawns and meadows. As a fodder plant for livestock and small animals, it also thrives very luxuriantly on pastures. Sometimes even at altitudes of 2,000 m, as is the case in the Alps. Beneficial insects such as bees and bumblebees also like to visit the commoner. In the garden, the lesser prunella is therefore ideal for natural design concepts such as
- Cottage Gardens
- Natural Gardens
- Natural Grass
- Beneficial pastures
- Paving Joints
- Forest Gardens
- Wildflower Meadows
- Wild herb beds
» Tip: Cultivation in a tub is also conceivable for small brownelles. However, since the plant grows up to 80 cm wide, the planters should be chosen rather wide and flat. In this way, the ground cover has enough space to develop its carpet of plants undisturbed.
Small brownelle - location and sowing
The Lesser Accentor belongs to the natural flower community on so-called fat meadows. This means extremely nutrient-rich ("fat") natural meadows that have a high moisture content. Due to their good nutrient supply, fertile meadows are extremely species-rich. In addition to the Accentor, other wild flowers such as knapweed, daisies, bluebells, buttercups, cornflowers, dandelions, poppies, pippau, buckhorn or chicory also sprout in great numbers. Corresponding flowers are therefore also ideal planting partners for the common brownelle.
If you don't have a fat meadow in your garden, you can still cultivate Prunella vulgaris. Because the little flower also gets along well with poor meadows and semi-arid grassland. The prerequisite is that the substrate is clayey to loamy, well drained and moderately dry to fresh. In principle, the location should also be sunny to shady so that the plant gets enough light.
The plant is tolerant of lime, but the soil quickly becomes emaciated if the lime content is too high. This is not desirable for the high nutrient and humus requirements of the plant. It is therefore better to keep the substrate low in lime with a slightly alkaline to neutral soil pH value between 7.5 and 8.
Sowing in 3 steps
- The best time to sow Prunella vulgaris is spring. You can sow here from March to April without any problems, even if the temperatures are still relatively cool. Because the small prunella is a cold germ and needs moderate temperatures of around 6 °C to germinate. Alternatively, sowing in autumn is conceivable, whereby the seeds should be pre-cultured in the refrigerator.
- It is important to prepare the site soil well for the needs of the common brownelle. Too sandy soils should be optimized in advance with peat-free potting soil or compost. A handful of compost or humus is recommended for basic fertilization.
- Braunella are not only cold germs, but also light germs. The seed should therefore only be pressed lightly so that it gets enough sun to germinate.As soon as the seedlings have reached a height of 10 to 15 cm, you can separate them to a final planting distance of 25 cm.
Instead of seeds, you get small brownelle in a pot. We recommend this young plant:
Water and fertilize small prunella
Since Prunella vulgaris is a native wild plant, it is actually well adapted to the local climate. Accordingly, it also gets along well with natural precipitation. Even longer periods of drought are survived without major problems. In particularly hot summers, however, a heavy shower from the watering can is good every now and then.
Anyone who has provided the outdoor location of the small brownelle with good basic fertilization in advance does not have to fertilize additionally in the first few years. Smaller amounts of nutrients are only necessary in spring every three years, whereby please use organic fertilizer (e.g. bird guano or compost soil) or herb fertilizer. The situation is different with pot cultures. Here you should already fertilize in the second year.
Cutting and propagating small prunella
A pruning of the lesser prunella may be necessary for several reasons. To harvest the healing parts of the plant, you can use scissors or a sickle in summer, for example. The flowering shoots of the Accentor also do well in wildflower bouquets, which is why they can also be used as cut flowers.
Lawn owners, on the other hand, like to mow the perennials of the Prunella vulgaris before they bloom in order to avoid propagation by self-seeding in the lawn. You can also scarify the lawn in spring or pluck out the plants by hand. However, you should make sure that you pull out all the roots with it. Otherwise, the plant will continue to multiply through offshoots.
Propagation by runners
The simplest way of propagating the Lesser Accentor is via runners. The so-called stolons form very eagerly on the perennial and can be easily removed from the plant in the spring after it has budded.
Propagation by root division
Older Prunella vulgaris plants may benefit from rootstock division. This means that not only can the impressive growth width of almost 1 m be kept in check, but the plant can also be multiplied at the same time. Simply dig up the perennial in spring or autumn and cut off two equal sections with a spade.
Propagation by seed
In autumn, the small prunella forms small fruits of Klausen. ThisAfter the fruit has ripened, they break up into four cloisters, which can be happily distributed in the garden bed or on the meadow if no countermeasures are taken. To prevent self-seeding, it is best to cut off wilted inflorescences as soon as possible. You can use the seeds later for controlled sowing.
Diseases and Pests
Prunella vulgaris is actually quite robust against pests. Occasionally there may be a infestation by cicadas. However, they rarely cause any major damage to the plant and can easily be dispelled with a long spray with a garden hose.
On the other hand, plant diseases on the common prunus can be much more problematic. They mainly occur with improper care or severely fluctuating weather conditions. A fungal attack by powdery mildew, for example, is then conceivable. It stands out due to the mealy-white coating on the upper side of the leaves of affected plants and is usually due to dry or poorly lit locations.
In the case of powdery mildew, it is extremely important to remove infested plant parts immediately. Dispose of the diseased leaves and stems separately in the household waste and not on the compost, so that the fungal disease does not spread further in the garden. Spraying with horsetail decoction can help as a follow-up treatment. It has also proven useful to place plants such as basil, chervil or chives between plants that are susceptible to powdery mildew. Because the fungus avoids said plants, which consequently form a natural protective barrier against powdery mildew.
Treatment of stem disease is more difficult. This is conspicuous by the black-brown leaf necrosis on the small brownelle. Affected plants should be removed from the bed or meadow immediately. Best to include neighboring plants to be on the safe side.