Yesterday, I was visiting with friends who are building a small house on a lovely piece of protected land. My friend and her husband are very interested in ground covers, having a penchant for green without having to deal with a lawn they do not want. I am just the perfect friend to help them, knowing something about where wild plants thrive.

I have worked hard over the years to do away with grass, which nourishes nothing and must be endlessly mowed! In ki’s* place, there are so many plants to choose from, and I have at least 20 species of ground covers rambling over the hillsides here at home. Yesterday, we spent some leisurely time seeking the treasures that were already thriving on this recently cleared land. When “Self-Heal,” also known as “Heart of the Earth,” “Heal All” and, scientifically, as Prunella vulgaris, caught my eye, I knew we had struck gold.

This diminutive plant not only spreads very easily, but long after the first pollinators, like the abundant wild violets, are gone (another plant that covers the ground and spreads without effort if conditions permit, ki never needs mowing). And best of all, unlike grass that withers and turns brown on hot summer days, “Heart of the Earth” is thriving, and has a creeping close-to-the-ground way of seeing and being, with oval pine green leaves producing small spikes of purple or blue flowers.

Each plant bears both male and female blossoms on one plant (monoecious). In shade, there are fewer flowers; in full sun, expect a bouquet of deep purple or blue florets that bumblebees and butterflies of all kinds will seek out for sweet nectar. This wild jewel spreads by shallow underground rootlets and runners. It also spreads by seed, so once you have a healthy clump, sit back and watch the plant range over bare ground. Ki thrives in many habitats but prefers moist soil. Like many plants and trees, ki also absorbs toxins/pollutants from the earth, especially lead. Though supposedly edible, I would not choose to imbibe, even though our bodies are already full of plastic, pesticides, herbicides, and other toxins.

“Heal All” is native to most continents and is a member of the mint family. Like most other mints, ki thrives only in certain biomes, like most wild plants do. The plant police consider “Heal-All” to be an invasive plant, a ridiculous idea that indicates to me that these “experts” spend little or no time in the field. This plant, like all others, needs specific requirements for healthy growth.

When I am in the forest, if bitten by a stinging insect, I seek out and crush prunella and place ki on the site. It is truly amazing how effectively this plant removes discomfort from a sting if you know where to look for it.

Indigenous peoples have used “Heart of the Earth” for millennia for wounds, stomach disorders — oh, the list is a long one. These folks learned and continue to learn directly from nature. An observational truth that reminds us how important it is to listen to Native Elders, who carry ancient knowledge in their bones. We can use the tools of modern science, too. Both are lenses through which to see different aspects of the same plant, animal, etc.

Westerners accumulate masses of “facts,” but know little about the ways that nature actually operates. A humble little plant like “Heal All” could teach us a lot about how to live if only we paid closer attention.

*Ki is scientist Robin Wall Kimmerer’s word, used to personalize any plant, animal, etc. She feels as I do that “othering” helps people continue to believe that humans are separate from the rest of nature and therefore not subject to being destroyed.