Brownelle ∗ The big guide from A to Z on cultivation and control

Characteristics

• Scientific name: Prunella
• Family: Lamiaceae (Lamiaceae)
• Genus: Brownella with 7-15 species
• Synonym: Brunella
• Growth type: herbaceous perennials
• Growth: creeping, suckering
• Leaves: evergreen, evergreen
• Flower: paniculate pseudo-spikes
• Flowering period: June to October
• Fruit: Klausen fruit
• Hardiness: hardy
• Toxicity: non-toxic, partially edible
• Use: ground cover, ornamental shrub, medicinal plant

species

Two types of brownella with different characteristics are widespread in Germany. The following table provides an overview:

In the course of global warming, a third species of brownella is spreading steadily from the south. The white prunella (Prunella laciniata) is native to the Mediterranean Sea and can be identified by its white labiate flowers. The Mediterranean newcomer can be found on stony southern slopes, on dry poor meadows and in sparse forests.

blossom

With its distinctive flowers, the commoner is popular with hobby gardeners. One look at the colorful inflorescence makes us forget the epically long stolons that have made the common prunus unpopular as a weed. These properties shape a Prunella flower:

• inflorescence: Pseudo-spikes with numerous, densely packed individual flowers
• inflorescence shape: ovate to rounded-ovate
• inflorescence size: 1cm to 4cm
• flower color: purple-violet, blue-violet, reddish-pink or white
• position: terminal

If brunelles put on their flower robes, they are wild bees, bumblebees and butterflies on the spot. With an Insect value of 4, Common Accentor and Large-flowered Accentor are among the foraging plants found in the bee friendly garden must not be missing.

growth

Above-ground, rooting foothills are characteristic of the growth of brownella, with the help of which the perennials can also multiply. This forms a dense, ground-covering carpet that bears flowers from June to October. Because the outlasting organs are also on the surface, a prunella does not retreat completely. Only the evergreen leaves wither for a short time in late winter and make room for fresh foliage.

use

Prunella vulgaris is the perfect wild perennial for a natural garden design. The Little Accentor looks great as a flowering ground cover under mixed hedges or a rustic one benje hedge. Instead of demonizing the common brownelle as a lawn weed, creative hobby gardeners use the natural beauty as a distinctive joint filler on paved paths. Since the Middle Ages, the common Brunella has been known as a medicinal plant with antibacterial and regenerating ingredients, as the following video demonstrates:

Small brownelle with tips for using it as a medicinal plant

Prunella grandiflora thrives with perennial character. The large-flowered Accentor lives up to its name and is tough. These qualities recommend Great Brunella for greening difficult locations, such as roof gardens in full sun or tree pits in the penumbra mighty foliage crowns. As a medicinal plant, the Greater Accord is of no importance.

Sheet

The leaves play the green basic chord in the natural appearance of a brownelle. Thanks to the following leaf properties, the rural charm is retained even outside the flowering period:

• leaf shape: stalked, ovate-lanceolate, with thin to loose hairs on both sides
• size: 2 cm to 5 cm long, 1 cm to 3 cm wide
• leaf edge: smooth or slightly notched
• arrangement: opposite

With its deep green leaves, the Accentor cheers up the dreary winter. In mild vineyard regions, the evergreen wild perennial usually thrives.

plant brownella

in the natural garden the commoner often appears on its own. Hobby gardeners only have to multiply the wild perennial and plant it in the desired location. The is suitable for large-scale greening sowing of seeds. Pre-grown premium varieties adorn the balcony and terrace as a container plant. How to plant Prunella correctly, read here:

multiply

If a Brunella is already thriving in the garden, you can propagate the perennial by dividing it. The best time is in autumn after the flowering period. A second time window opens in the spring as soon as the ground has thawed. You prick the foothills with the spade away. Dig up the root ball and place it on a solid surface. Divide the bale into several segments. Plant each section in the new location or in a pot, as explained in the following short instructions.

Location

Basically, the Accentor grows where you plant the perennial. The wild perennial unfolds its primeval optimum at the following location:

• Prunella vulgaris: sunny to shady position
• Soil quality: fresh to moist, rich in nutrients, low in lime
• Prunella grandiflora: Sun until penumbra
• Soil quality: dry to fresh, stony-sandy to sandy-loamy, preferably with a high lime content

plants in the bed

Purchased or propagated young plants come into their own in small groups. Dig a planting pit for each brownelle with 1.5 times the volume of the root ball. The correct planting distance is 25 centimetres. Mix a handful into the excavation compost soil or horn shavings(€9.00 at Amazon*) as starter fertilization. Place each specimen just as deep in the ground as before in the breeding pot or before division. Press the soil down with both hands and water.

plants in the pot

A mixture of peat-free is suitable as a potting substrate potting soil, coconut soil as a peat substitute and expanded clay. Please place a curved potsherd over the bottom opening to protect against waterlogging. The further procedure corresponds to the planting in the bed.

sowing

Sowing has proven to be excellent for using brownella as ground cover in the hobby garden. The right time ensures that the cold germs receive the necessary cold stimulus in a natural way. For germination, temperatures of around 5° Celsius are required in advance for a period of 4 weeks. How to properly sow prunella seeds:

1. The best time is in autumn or in April.
2. Pull weeds, rake and level the soil at the site.
3. Spread seeds widely.
4. Lightly incorporate light germs into the soil.
5. Press small seedbeds with your hands, roll large seedbeds.
6. Pour on with a fine shower.

The wafer-thin seed is very productive. 700 seeds are contained in 0.5 grams. For an even distribution, we recommend mixing the seeds with bird sand.

digression

Brownelle on land and in the air

care for brownelle

The Braunelle is an easy-care self-runner in every respect. Water and nutrient requirements are low. Timely pruning prolongs flowering and regulates invasive self-seeding. The best care tips for Prunella species in a nutshell:

• Pour: water in beds during summer dry periods, water regularly in pots when the soil has dried out.
• Fertilize: as groundcover in March fertilize Fertilize with compost, in the pot every 14 days from April to September.
• To cut: in August clean out wilted flowers, in October cut off the second flowering above the leafy shoots.
• winter care: without snow cover, water occasionally on mild days, do not fertilize.

In the bed, brownella are hardy down to – 35° Celsius. Potted plants can overwinter outside if you place the container on wood and cover it with fleece.

Fight in the lawn

As an uninvited guest, the common prunus can become a nuisance in the lawn. The creeping foothills spread rapidly and make life difficult for noble lawn grasses. How to get rid of lawn weeds:

• Pull out isolated Prunella nests by hand or with hand scarifier remove.
• Scarify and fertilize the lawn twice a year.
• Determine the pH value with a test set and, if the value is below 6, the lawn lime.

In the near-natural garden, the maintenance-intensive lawn has had its day. Ecologically valuable solutions are on the rise lawn substitute. Stronger are very popular white clover and Little Accentor with a sea of ​​white and blue-purple flowers in the summertime.

Popular Varieties

The large-flowered prunella is the mother of numerous, beautiful varieties, which are full of flowers in the perennial bed and on the balcony:

• FreelanderBlue: Large-flowered Accentor with blue flowers from May to October, forming few stolons above the ground.
• Bella Rose: decorative Prunella grandiflora with pink inflorescences, clump-forming, growth height 20-30 cm.
• loveliness: magnificent garden squill for the perennial border inspires with light violet flowers, growth height 20-30 cm.
• Alba: white Prunella premium variety without runners, also flowers in semi-shade, growth height 15-20 cm.
• rubra: enchants with strong pink flowers from June to September as a picturesque groundcover, growth height 5-10 cm.

FAQ

Is the brownelle edible?

The widespread brownelle is an edible wild herb with healthy ingredients. With a slightly bitter taste, flowers, leaves and young shoot tips give numerous dishes a special aroma. Use blue-purple brownella flowers as a tasty salad ingredient. Young leaves refine vegetables, soups or sauces and harmonize delicately with quark and cream cheese.

What to do against small brownelles in the lawn?

Regular scarifying is an effective method against small brownworms in the lawn. Rotating knives comb out the rooted runners. Local Prunella nests can be plucked out by hand or removed with a hand scarifier.

What are the medicinal properties of the Brunella plant?

The common prunella (Prunella vulgaris) has been known as a medicinal plant since the Middle Ages with a high proportion of essential oils and tannins. The healing effect is antibacterial, astringent, styptic and antispasmodic. Furthermore, the weed is said to have a diuretic effect. Before the invention of antibiotics, the Brunella plant was used to treat diphtheria, among other things. Other areas of application are sore throats, skin inflammation, flatulence, menopausal symptoms and menstrual pain.