Self-Heal, Prunella Vulgaris

Day 354: Self-Heal's unfortunate similarity to the invasive Ajuga reptans invariably causes me to accuse it falsely of being an interloper until I bend over for a closer look. When not in flower, it is much harder to distinguish Prunella (the native pictured above) from Ajuga. The secret is in the leaf shape, and it's not always easy to make a judgment call. Those of Prunella are typically shorter and rounder, but young Ajuga leaves may appear identical, so when possible, you should examine a leaf emerging from halfway up the stalk. These leaves are likely to be more fully developed, and the width/length ratio can be more easily ascertained. When plants are very young, i.e., at the point of growth when the first true leaves appear, a trained eye may notice a reddish tint to the stems of Ajuga which is not present in young Prunellas. I suspect that in my "de-ajuga-fication" of a certain patch of Longmire meadow, a few innocent Prunellas may have been rooted out as well, but Arnie and I agree: better to err on the side of caution. One little Ajuga in the Prunella patch can create problems for years to come.