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A perennial of the Lamiaceae family, the Large-flowered Self-heal is native to central and southern Europe, from the Pyrenees to the Balkans, with scattered populations extending to western Asia. It is widely found in calcareous grasslands, sunny forest edges, dry to semi-dry meadows, and clearings, generally between 400 and 2,000 meters in mountain contexts.
It forms small low and spreading clumps, rarely exceeding 10 to 20 cm in height when in flower, with a mat-forming habit. The stems are quadrangular, a characteristic of the family, and slightly pubescent. The foliage is evergreen to semi-evergreen, consisting of oval to oblong leaves, slightly crenate, with a glossy dark green.
The flowers, significantly larger than those of the type species Prunella vulgaris, are bilabiate, with an intense violet-purple to blue-violet color, gathered in dense and short terminal spikes borne by purple bracts. In its natural habitat, it blooms from June to August. In cultivation, it flowers from May to July depending on exposure.
It is distinguished from Prunella vulgaris by the noticeably larger size of its corollas, and by its more intense colors. It readily attracts bumblebees, which are its main pollinators.
In cultivation, it is undemanding and adapts to most well-drained soils, preferably calcareous, in full sun or partial shade. It is suitable for shallow rockeries, naturalized borders, and flowering lawns.