Passionflower is a native vine to the southeastern United States, with gorgeous flowers and interesting foliage. It is weedy in much of its range and fairly easy to grow elsewhere, especially if given a wall or trellis to climb. The leaves and flowers are an important nervine sedative and are used to help promote sleep and alleviate pain, such as menstrual cramps and headaches.

Passionflower is a short-lived, perennial herb that will clamber gregariously over arbors and fences. Space plants 3 feet. Passionflower loves full sun, and will bloom more profusely when situated to bask in the solar rays, especially if you live further north.

If you live in a hot climate, consider planting passionflower where it will receive some shade by mid-afternoon. Acclimated to warmth, passionflower is only hardy to zone 6 and is highly frost tender.

Mulch heavily in the fall to help it overwinter. Plant passionflower in well-drained to average garden soil. Seeds will germinate more easily if you first scarify them by rubbing each one between sandpaper until you see a pale inner tissue emerge within the darker seed coat. I also recommend stratifying the seeds by placing them in damp sand in the refrigerator for one to two months see these links for more on scarification and stratification.

Be patient, sometimes it may take months for passionflower seeds to sprout, and germination may not happen all at once. The use of bottom heat, planting in a warm greenhouse, or sowing seeds in late spring will all enhance germination. Actually, passionflower is just a short-lived perennial, so no need to take it personally—you may simply need to replant it after three years or so.

The stems, leaves, and flowers can all be gathered for medicine, and used fresh or dried in tea or tincture form. Curious to learn more about passionflower?

See my articles on The Ecology and Medicine of Passionflower , and Saving Passionflower Seeds. Purple coneflower is one of the most popular garden ornamentals with its showy purple flowers that attract all manner of butterflies and bees. Echinacea is an herbaceous perennial, coming back to the garden year after year.

Plant in full sun for the best flower production, feet cm apart; grows to feet. Echinacea purpurea is the easiest species of echinacea to grow in most garden soils, although Echinacea angustifolia is a highly prized medicinal to many herbal gardeners.

Sow seeds in trays or directly into the ground in early spring. Expect germination within weeks. To improve the germination rate, you may cold condition stratify the seeds for two weeks prior to planting. Echinacea will begin flowering in its second year, and will be two or three years old before the roots are ready to harvest.

Echinacea seeds are relished by goldfinches and will self-sow if left on the plant over winter. This close relative of common basil is native to India, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia, and has gained recent popularity as a tasty herbal tea.

Holy basil is highly aromatic and antimicrobial; its leaves and flowers are used as a medicinal tea for colds, coughs, asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis, headaches, arthritis, diabetes, stress, and anxiety.

Its adaptogenic effect offers an uplifting energy and helps with mental clarity and focus. In the kitchen, the fresh leaves can be added to salads and are used as a more pungent version of basil.

Holy basil pesto is divine! Tulsi is a perennial herb in Zones 10 and warmer, elsewhere it must be grown as an annual. However, it may self-seed prolifically even in cooler climates!

Plant holy basil in full sun in average to moist garden soils, space If you want a head start on the growing season the seeds will germinate better with bottom heat. If your greenhouse gets too cold at night, tulsi will be slow to sprout, and slow to grow.

For this reason, I recommend planting outside after the danger of frost has passed. Holy basil may appear puny at first, leaving you to wonder if it has some botanical failure-to-thrive syndrome—perhaps you spoke too harshly with it when you were transplanting it—but do not go to that dark place of plant parent guilt.

When the days grow longer and the nighttime temperatures warm, it will take off! Several harvests can be obtained in one year: simply cut back the mature plant to 8 inches and it will re-grow quickly.

As with culinary basil, cutting back the early flowers helps the plant to fill out and promotes more vegetative growth. With billowy clusters of creamy flowers that reign over ferny leaves, this European wetland herb certainly is deserving of its moniker: queen of the meadow.

The flowers are quite attractive and are traditionally used to flavor meads; hence its former name meadwort. You can also make an herbal simple syrup with meadowsweet, sassafras Sassafras albidum root, black birch Betula lenta bark, and a touch of cloves Syzygium aromaticum and add it to sparkly water to make a homemade root beer soda.

The leaves and flowers have a pleasant wintergreen aroma and flavor, and are used internally for inflammation, fevers, heartburn, and peptic ulcers. Most people, including finicky children, love the tasty tea. Meadowsweet is a wonderful tonic for arthritis with its anti-inflammatory salicylates.

It is naturalizing in the northeastern United States and can spread on its own from seed. Meadowsweet is a hardy perennial in Zones , growing to 4 feet 1.

Plant in full sun or part shade, but note that moisture is beneficial—a wet meadow, streamside or the edge of a pond are all perfect spots for meadowsweet.

If you live in a southern climate, meadowsweet will be happier with a little afternoon shade and wet feet. In cooler climates, meadowsweet will tolerate more sunshine and drier soils, and even regular garden soil will nurture the growth of beautiful, healthy plants. It is much easier to grow meadowsweet by root division than by seed, which requires a complicated stratification regime.

Any little piece of the root will take hold, and grow a new plant. See my article on Root Division for more details. Harvest meadowsweet when it is beginning to bloom by cutting the flowering stalks close to the base of the plant. You can hang these longer stems in bundles, placing a cloth underneath to catch any blossoms that fall during the drying process.

Harvest the basal leaves at this time as well by giving half the plant a haircut. It will send forth a flush of new leaves, and you can harvest them a second time in the fall, before the first frost. Jiaogulan is a popular folk herb in Southeast Asia where it is grown as an affordable substitute for ginseng Panax spp.

It is gaining popularity in the Western world, where it is used as a tonic for longevity and vitality. The leaves are brewed into a medicinal tonic tea for anxiety, stress, depression, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

This vine is an easy-to-grow adaptogenic tonic, which contains some of the same compounds ginsenosides found in Asian and American ginseng. Sweet tea vine is actually quite bitter and contrary to its name, has a flavor reminiscent of ginseng with mild soapy undertones.

As you are likely aware, sweet tea black tea with copious amounts of white sugar is the beverage of choice for many southerners. Southern ginseng is an herbaceous perennial vine hardy to 10 degrees F degrees C ; it grows 4 inches 10 cm tall by indefinitely wide and prefers part shade and moist rich soil.

Jiaogulan will spread vigorously by runners and can become a troublesome weed if consumption does not outpace proliferation. In this light, it makes a beautiful container plant.

I recommend growing jiaogulan by division , as seeds are not readily available. It can be hard to come by; see the resource section below for nurseries that carry it. Here is a video of Joe Hollis, of Mountain Gardens, talking about Jiaogulan. Jiaogulan growing as a potted porch plant.

It is one of the strongest sialagogues saliva-promoters I know; even a tiny nibble from one of the flowers will set your mouth to drool. The tingly numbing sensation affords relief to toothaches, and is used in many tooth and gum formulas, as it is antimicrobial, stimulating, and acts as an oral anodyne.

All the aboveground parts are medicinal, and can be chewed fresh in moderation or made into a tincture. You can read more about spilanthes and other herbal immune stimulants here. Spilanthes is one of the easiest to grow medicinal herbs, and kids absolutely love it!

This herb is grown as an annual, and will do well in average to rich soil and full sun. Be sure to water during dry spells. Spilanthes is a bushy, low-growing herb that can form a beautiful, succulent cover over the ground. It will rarely exceed 1 foot 30 cm in height, and should be spaced 1 foot 30 cm apart.

Direct sow seeds after danger of frost has passed or sow in the greenhouse for a head start. One to two plants will yield over a quart of tincture. Protect the plants from slugs, as they will devour it—slug candy, indeed! Nettles is a highly revered, nutritious spring green, eaten steamed or in soups and stir-fries.

The sting disappears when the leaves are cooked or dried. The greens and tea of nettles are high in minerals, vitamins, and chlorophyll; namely Vitamin A and C and calcium, potassium, magnesium, and iron. The leaves and seeds are used medicinally in teas and foods for allergies, arthritis, and as a kidney tonic.

Few herbs are so highly useful in the garden as nettles, if placed wisely in the landscape. It is considered a perennial vegetable—it does not need to be planted from seed each spring, but comes back from the roots year after year, making it less energy-intensive to cultivate than many annual crops.

Nettles is a generous herb—it will spread prolifically by runners; plant it out of the way or inside a semi-buried barrier. Try planting nettles in a wet meadow away from human activity or on an old compost or manure pile.

In some locales it will spread by seed, making containment challenging. Nettles grows feet. Zones Fresh nettle shoots emerge in the earliest spring; you can continually harvest the tender new growth with scissors and it will regrow, allowing for multiple harvests from the same patch.

Gather nettles before they flower. Consider wearing thick clothing and using leather gardening gloves. I recommend a scythe or similar tool for large-scale harvesting, and kitchen scissors or pruners for smaller yields. Want to see a nettle harvest in action?

Join Deb Soule of Avena Botanicals over on YouTube. Stinging nettles are dynamic accumulators—a term used to describe plants with the ability to mine nutrients such as N, K, P, Ca from deep in the soil. These nutrients are concentrated in their leaves, and then released into the soil when the plants die or lose their leaves.

Nettles can be added to compost or used as a fertilizing mulch. Consider inviting wild bergamot into your garden for its beauty, medicine, and amazing ability to attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. Wild bergamot is a close relative to bee balm Monarda didyma. However, it is more likely to thrive in hotter and drier conditions.

Both bee balm and wild bergamot are important medicines for Native American peoples. They are used medicinally to treat infections and digestive issues, such as gas and bloating. Wild bergamot is antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and diaphoretic brings on a sweat to break a fever. I like to use the dried leaves and flowers in a steam inhalation to help break up upper and lower respiratory congestion.

Wild bergamot has a pungent aroma and flavor and can be enjoyed in tea or prepared as a tincture. The lavender flowers are edible and can be used as a garnish or tossed into salads for an extra splash of color. The leaves can be mixed with basil to create a pungent twist on the classic pesto.

Clearwing hummingbird moth nectaring on wild bergamot. Wild bergamot is an herbaceous perennial; it grows feet. It likes full sun and average to well-drained soils.

The seeds are Lilliputian-tiny and must be planted on the surface of the soil and misted or bottom watered to avoid burying them too deep in the soil.

Wild bergamot spreads vigorously by runners, in a similar fashion to mint. Plant it where it can go hog wild, or contain it with a rhizome barrier, as you would for mint or bamboo.

Gather the stems, leaves, and blooms at the peak of flowering and dry or use fresh. See my article on Medicinal Herbs for Urban Gardens for more on growing wild bergamot. Harvesting calendula flowers amongst shiso, tulsi, passionflower, and California poppy. Visit our Medicinal Herb Gardening Hub for all of our personally-penned articles on growing the herb garden of your greenest dreams.

The Illustrated Herb Encyclopedia; A complete Culinary, Cosmetic, Medicinal, and Ornamental Guide to Herbs by Kathi Keville. One of my long-time favorite herb references.

Provides more cultivation information than most general herbals. Beautiful illustrations. Recipes, historical references, aromatherapy, and more. The Medicinal Herb Grower — A Guide for Cultivating Plants that Heal, Volume 1 by Richo Cech.

A good beginning book on cultivating plants in general, but focusing on medicinal herbs. Vegetative propagation is explored: cuttings, divisions, layering as well as germination specifics: stratification, scarification, light-dependent and heat-dependent germination.

Composting, soil, mulching, seed-saving, and harvesting are also covered. Growing At-Risk Medicinal Herbs: Cultivation, Conservation and Ecology by Richo Cech.

Detailed instruction on the cultivation requirements for at-risk plants including ginseng, goldenseal, the cohoshes, bloodroot, etc. Fedco Seeds A cooperatively-owned seed and garden supply company based in Maine.

Offers a wide variety of medicinal and culinary herbs, native plants, and edible shrubs and trees. Specializes in cold-hardy varieties.

They also have a great herbal seed planting guide. Prairie Moon Nursery My favorite resource for native plants of the eastern and central United States. Their website has loads of germination and cultivation info, super affordable prices, organically grown plants although not certified , and the company is cooperatively owned.

Southern Exposure Seeds Heirloom varieties, with an emphasis on varieties that perform well in the mid-Atlantic and southeast United States. Their website has a great list of various growing guides and resources.

Strictly Medicinal Seeds Formerly known as Horizon Herbs, this Oregon-based business has the largest collection of organically grown medicinal herb seeds and plants.

Check out the detailed propagation profiles on their website! Mountain Gardens The botanical garden of Joe Hollis, who moonlights as an instructor here at the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine. Seeds and bare root plants are available by mail—specializing in Appalachian and Chinese medicinal herbs including jiaogulan.

It may be harder to procure seeds from Mountain Gardens than other suppliers but the quality and mind-boggling selection is worth the extra work!

Based in North Carolina. Looking for more blog articles about medicinal herb cultivation? She's a professional plant-human matchmaker and bonafide plant geek, with a degree in botany and over 30 years of experience teaching and writing about herbalism, medicine making, and organic herb cultivation.

These days, she channels her botanical obsession through her writing and photography in her online programs, on her personal blog Castanea , and in her new book, The Healing Garden: Cultivating and Handcrafting Herbal Remedies. Juliet and her family reside in a home overrun with houseplants and books in Asheville, North Carolina.

Meghan lives in the Ivy Creek watershed, just north of Asheville, NC. com , Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine and chestnutherbs.

com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. I tried planting some spilanthes seeds in pots outside last year nothing came up. Planted calendula from seeds in my pots and they came up fine.

What am I doing wrong? It was after frost in a sunny location watered everyday. Do the seeds have to constantly be wet? Tried planting echinacea and meadowsweet from seeds to and nothing came up. Can you tell me step by step what I need to do to get them to grow!

My soil in my pots are bagged potting soil. HELP PLEASE! Thank you! I guess it was an overachiever! Garden Medicinals Hello! Do you have Astragalus seed, roots, or plant already grown a few inches??

Okay, forget about the flowers for a sec, just WHAT is that CREATURE on the WILD BERGAMOT??? It kind of looks like a shrimp? My sister and I HAVE to know what that thing is! I totally see the resemblance to a shrimp. I like how you said that marigolds actually have antibacterial properties. love the poste!!!

Thank you for your intelligent post and for helping others become more aware. Many of the herbs that were once highly specific to a region and a population are now available to the rest of the world as teas, extracts, and supplements — and even as growing plants — offering us new opportunities for herbal treatment.

Now, even in the United States, 38 percent of adults use some form of botanical medicine. These migrations of people and their herbal traditions offer new challenges for conventional medicine. Realizing that certain patients are self-treating with herbal remedies, some integrative-medicine caregivers and researchers in the United States have made an effort to both understand and introduce these remedies to conventional practitioners.

She also worked with ethnobotanists at the New York Botanical Garden to create a manual for physicians on herbal medicine that identified the 74 most common herbs used by the local Hispanic population. Researchers are playing catch-up in regard to these practices, testing the efficacy of various herbal treatments.

Sometimes they confirm the value of traditional remedies; occasionally they disprove them. Often, they discover entirely new applications. They found benefits for PAOD [peripheral arterial occlusive disease, in which the blood vessels of the legs and feet narrow and harden], and that use was never part of the historical record.

Although people taking such standardized phytomedicines get herbal remedies in a highly concentrated form, they are different from conventional medicines in several ways. Rather, they are made from relatively common plants.

Herbal medicines also differ from conventional pharmaceuticals in that their molecular structures and biochemical actions tend to be more complex.

For consumers, it can be dizzying to face the array of herbal pills and extracts on store shelves. For those interested in exploring the healing properties of whole herbs, herbal teas and simple remedies like those described below can be a great place to start.

Try this this Ginger-Lemon Wellness shot for starters. Mary Hardy, MD, was trained in internal medicine, but she had to reach outside academic circles to educate herself in botanicals. Later, as associate director of the UCLA Botanical Research Center, she helped inform the medical mainstream about the power of herbal remedies.

Hardy encourages her patients and medical colleagues to consider herbal remedies as a first line of defense. I use the most effective, least toxic therapy, and I get good results. Herbal medicine can be as simple as a cup of chamomile tea — the flowers plucked from your own yard, perhaps — or as sophisticated as concentrated herbal preparations taken with guidance from a specialist.

Astragalus is being investigated in the treatment of atherosclerosis, hyperthyroidism, hypertension, insomnia , type 2 diabetes, genital herpes, and AIDS. A blueberry has most of its antioxidant-rich blue color in the skin, but its lesser-known relative bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus is dark all the way through and bursting with health benefits.

Bilberries contain anthocyanosides, antioxidants that are believed to strengthen the walls of our blood vessels, improve circulation, protect against blood clots, and thwart damage from free radicals.

Bilberries have been valued in European medicine for centuries, especially to promote night vision; experts suspect that the anthocyanidins may have boosted the production of rhodopsin, a pigment that helps the eye adapt to light changes.

Commercial extracts are widely available. Maine herbalist Mischa Schuler, MS, suggests making a salve by removing the flower heads and steeping them in olive, almond, or coconut oil for two weeks, then adding beeswax to thicken. The seeds were also chewed to freshen the breath and quiet noisy stomachs.

Growing this herb in your garden has the additional benefit of attracting butterflies. Lemon balm used topically can reduce the symptoms of the herpes simplex virus, and it is also being investigated as a salve for anxiety , dyspepsia, and irritable bowel syndrome.

Tanacetum parthenium has a confounding history. The NYU Langone Medical Center suggests that the name is a corruption of an older name, featherfoil, and that the herb lost popularity with herbalists because it did not dispel fevers. The herb returned to vogue in the s, when the wife of a British medical officer tried a local folk remedy — chewing feverfew leaves — for her terrible migraine headaches.

The success of this remedy attracted researchers, who subjected the herb to clinical trials and found that chewing fresh feverfew leaves during a migraine did in fact help people feel better.

They also found that taking dried-leaf capsules every day can reduce the overall susceptibility to headaches. Over the centuries, people utilized garlic to prevent infection and treat many conditions, including respiratory problems, leprosy, type 2 diabetes , and warts. Research also suggests that regular intake of cooked or raw garlic may also reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.

A vegetable? A spice? A medicine? Graceful-looking Ginkgo biloba , with its fan-shaped leaves, is the oldest surviving tree species. It was wiped out during the Ice Age in Europe, but went on to thrive — and become revered for its medicinal benefits — in Asia.

Ginkgo is now one of the top-selling herbal supplements in the United States. These supplements are made from the leaves of the tree, which contain antioxidants that are thought to protect nerves, heart muscle, blood vessels, and retinas from damage.

Ginkgo has been shown to improve memory for people with dementia, temper the side effects from medications used to treat schizophrenia , and reduce anxiety.

It has antioxidant, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and anti-mutagenic properties. Cayenne pepper is a shrub that makes hollow fruit that grows into long pods and adds a spicy flavor to various dishes.

These pods are available in fresh, dried or powdered form and valued for their many health benefits. Cayenne can be used to support digestion; prevent blood clots; relieve migraine, nerve and joint pain; promote detoxification; improve allergy symptoms; and support weight loss.

Chamomile plants are used to improve several health conditions, including allergies, insomnia, anxiety, depression, arthritis and gastrointestinal disorders. Chamomile benefits also include its ability to help fight skin irritations; relieve toothaches, PMS symptoms and muscle spasms; reduce inflammation; and heal wounds.

It is often taken as an extract or supplement to relieve digestive issues like constipation, diarrhea, IBS, gas and bloating. Chicory root also works as a natural remedy for managing diabetes, protects the liver from toxicity and free radicals, reduces inflammation, and relieves stress.

Chive, or Allium schoenoprasum , is a perennial plant that is closely related to scallions and leeks. Chives are often used as a flavoring herb, but they also act as a mild stimulant and diuretic.

Chives have antiseptic and antibacterial properties, and they work as a natural bug repellant as well. Cilantro is a versatile herb that contains many healing properties , including phytonutrients, phenolic compounds and flavonoids.

Cilantro benefits include its ability to promote the detoxification of heavy metals, reduce anxiety, improve sleep, lower blood sugar levels, boost your heart health, support your digestion, promote skin health and fight free radical damage that can lead to a number of degenerative diseases. Cinnamon is a spice that comes from the bark of the Cinnamomum tree.

The compounds found in cinnamon and extracted to make cinnamon oil make this one of the most beneficial spices on earth. Cinnamon health benefits come from its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-diabetic, immune-boosting, heart-protecting and cancer-fighting properties.

Comfrey is a perennial herb that can be used topically to relieve muscle and joint pain, reduce lower back pain, and improve arthritis pain. It can also be used to speed wound healing and lessen skin irritations. Comfrey should only be used topically for up to 10 consecutive days.

Ingesting this herb can cause liver damage. The dried seeds of the cilantro plant are known as coriander , which is commonly used as whole seeds or ground into powder.

Consuming coriander seeds can help lower blood sugar levels, ease digestive issues , improve cholesterol levels, decrease blood pressure and prevent neurological disease. Cumin seeds come from the herb Cuminum cyminum , which is a member of the parsley family.

Cooking with cumin seeds can help aid your digestion, boost your immune system, promote the health of your skin, relieve respiratory conditions, promote detoxification, combat oxidative stress, fight infections and prevent diabetes.

Using curry leaves for flavoring provides fiber, iron, and vitamins A, C and E. They can support the health of your heart, fight diabetes, prevent or fight infections, lower your cholesterol levels, and prevent iron deficiency anemia.

Dill weed belongs to the same family as bay leaf, parsley and cumin. Adding chopped or whole dill weed to your recipes can help ease menstrual cramps, aid digestion, fight infections and lower cholesterol levels.

Dill weed also has anticonvulsant properties, so it is used to treat epilepsy as well. Echinacea is known for its ability to boost your immune system and reduce your chances of catching the common cold. Dried fennel seeds and fennel seed oil are able to relieve digestive issues like gas, bloating, heartburn and colic in infants.

Fennel benefits also include its ability to treat respiratory infections , improve eye health, ease menopausal symptoms, improve heart health and lower blood pressure. Its seeds and leaves are often used to reduce inflammation, aid digestion, improve cholesterol levels, improve glycemic control and boost exercise performance.

In men, fenugreek is known to increase libido, and in women who are breastfeeding, it can be used to promote milk flow. The dried leaves of the feverfew herb are used to ease migraine pain, treat fevers, heal skin issues like dermatitis, prevent blood clots and relieve arthritis pain.

Feverfew effectively reduces inflammation and eases pain naturally , and women use it to improve issues with infertility, menstruation and childbirth. The leaves can be found in tablet, capsule and liquid extract forms.

The rhizomes are consumed to reduce inflammation and inflammatory diseases, and the leaves are used for easing allergy symptoms and fighting infections. Fingerroot can also be beneficial in treating ulcers, working as a natural aphrodisiac and helping heal wounds quickly.

Some of the many galangal benefits include its ability to improve sperm count and function, reduce inflammation, fight and prevent infections, ease digestive issues, and support cognitive health. Research shows that galangal also acts as a potentially revolutionary cancer-fighting agent, as it has proven to effectively fight and prevent a broad number of cancers and tumors.

Garam masala is an Indian spice blend that commonly contains cinnamon, cardamom, black peppercorns, nutmeg, cumin, ginger, fennel, coriander and bay leaves. Using garam masala in your recipes can improve your digestion , fight diabetes, reduce inflammation, boost your heart health and may work to prevent cancer.

Ginger root is the rhizome of the Zingiber officinale plant that contains different chemical components. It works as a potent antioxidant, reduces inflammation, boosts the immune system, supports digestion, reduces pain and lowers cholesterol levels.

Ginger root benefits also include its ability to improve diabetes, reduce arthritis pain and fight cancer. Ginkgo biloba benefits also include its ability to fight depression and anxiety, ease PMS symptoms, relieves headaches, boost eye health, treat ADHD, and improve libido.

The dried rhizomes and roots of goldenseal are used to make liquid extracts, capsules, tablets, teas and skin care products.

Goldenseal can help ease digestive issues, like diarrhea, constipation, peptic ulcers and gassiness; boost your immune system; support the health of your mouth and eyes; fight cancer; and boost your heart health.

Gotu kola belongs to the same plant family as parsley, celery and carrots. This herb commonly used in traditional Asian cuisines is loaded with antioxidants and helps repair skin conditions like psoriasis, reduce fever, improve blood circulation, reduces inflammation, eases depression and anxiety, and fights free radicals that can cause gastric ulcers.

Holy basil is an adaptogen herb that can be used to relieve or ease conditions like anxiety, hypothyroidism, adrenal fatigue and acne.

Research shows that holy basil benefits also include its ability to fight cancer, control blood glucose levels and regulate cortisol levels. You can find holy basil in supplement form or drink tulsi tea for these benefits.

Horehound is a plant that belongs to the mint family. Horehound also has antiseptic, analgesic, antioxidant and appetite-stimulating properties, as shown in animal research. Horney goat weed works as a natural aphrodisiac because of its ability to increase testosterone production and estrogen levels.

You can use horny goat weed to improve your libido, boost your circulation , regulate your cortisol levels, prevent bone loss, increase lean muscle mass, and treat conditions like erectile dysfunction and vaginal dryness. The root of the horseradish plant can be used to fight disease because of its antioxidant power.

It also has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties, which help boost your immune system and fight infections. Some other horseradish root benefits include its ability to ease respiratory issues, treat urinary tract infections, aid digestion, ease pain and possible prevent cancer.

Hyssop is a healing plant that is commonly used to relieve digestive issues, improve appetite, fight infections, improve circulation, promote skin health, and support the health of your liver and gallbladder.

Hyssop can also help to prevent the common cold and ease respiratory conditions like asthma. It is available in capsules, teas and extracts.

Juniper berries are female seed cones that come from juniper plants. They are an excellent source of antioxidants, helping prevent and fight diseases that are caused by free radical damage. Juniper berries can also be used to fight skin and respiratory infections, improve the health of your skin, aid your digestion, boost the health of your heart, lower your blood sugar levels, and help relieve insomnia.

Kava is an herbal plant that is commonly used to ease anxiety, stress and insomnia. It also boosts the immune system, relieves headache and migraine pain, eases respiratory tract infections, and may even play a role in cancer prevention. However, kava root comes with the potential for drug abuse, and when taken by mouth, it can cause liver damage.

Kudzu root can help treat alcoholism when used in appropriate doses, improve diabetes and cardiovascular health , ease digestive issues like diarrhea, and improve menopause symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats.

Lemon balm is a plant in the mint family that possesses antibacterial, antidiabetic, anti-stress, anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It can be used to aid digestion, regulate an overactive thyroid, ease PMS symptoms, improve your sleep, boost your mood , and protect your heart and liver.

Lemongrass is an herb that has stimulating, soothing, balancing and relaxing properties. It can be used to fight fungal and bacterial infections, reduce inflammation, repel insects, ease stomach aches, boost energy, ease anxiety , reduce fevers, ease pain, and stimulate menstrual flow.

Licorice root extract can be used to relieve acid reflux and heartburn, regulate cortisol levels, boost immunity, fight viral and bacterial infections , ease PMS and menopause symptoms, relieve cough and sore throat with its expectorant and anti-inflammatory properties, and ease cramps due to its antispasmodic abilities.

Maca root powder contains over 20 amino acids and 20 free-form fatty acids, allowing for its status as a superfood. The marigold flower is used to make herbal ointments, topical creams, tinctures and teas to treat a number of health conditions , including muscle cramps, eye inflammation, fungal infections, and skin conditions like eczema and dermatitis.

Marigolds can also help ease digestive issues, boost the immune system, reduce inflammation and fight cancer. Marshmallow root has fibrous extracts that swell up in the body and form a gel-like substance that can work to reduce inflammation in the lining of the stomach.

Milk thistle is a weed that has been used medicinally for over 2, years. It works by drawing toxins that can cause illness and disease out of the body. It can effectively decrease or even reverse damage that has been done to the liver due to pollution exposure, heavy metals and the use of prescription medications.

Many of them are sold with unfounded promises. However, many herbs and teas offer harmless subtle ways to improve your health.

Avoid using herbs for infants and children and for those who are pregnant and breastfeeding. With this cautionary tale in mind, choosing the right plant can seem difficult to someone who simply wants to feel better without taking medication.

Making decisions about herbs along with more traditional medicinal approaches is something you and your healthcare practitioner can address together. Herbs can also be a way to add a needed nutrient.

Keep this in mind before choosing supplements from the shelf. These plants have the most numerous high-quality studies and are the safer choices among herbal remedies. Many of these plants are somewhere between 3 and 4, according to Wilson. We hope this guide will act as a starting point to those who wish to integrate herbal remedies into their lives and arrive armed with knowledge.

As always, speak with your doctor before starting any new health treatment. As one of the oldest tree species, gingko is also one of the oldest homeopathic plants and a key herb in Chinese medicine.

The leaves are used to create capsules, tablets, and extracts, and when dried, can be consumed as a tea. Recent research is looking into a component that can help diabetes, and there continue to be more studies, including an animal study that says it might influence bone healing.

The gingko tree is considered a living fossil, with fossils dating from million years ago. These trees can live up to 3, years. Originating in India, turmeric is believed to have anticancer properties and can prevent DNA mutations.

According to recent research, turmeric is also showing promise as a treatment for a variety of dermatologic diseases and joint arthritis.

Turmeric has been used as a medicinal herb for 4, years. Studies that are available on this oil tend to be all over the map, but there are studies that are stronger than others.

For example, some studies have found that evening primrose oil has anti-inflammatory properties. It can also help with other health concerns, such as breast pain. Recent research points to improving the quality of life for patients with multiple sclerosis , changing hormones and insulin sensitivity in those dealing with polycystic ovary syndrome , and using it topically to improve mild dermatitis.

According to these studies, evening primrose oil might just be the Swiss Army knife of the medicinal plant world. The caveat is that it can interact with several medications. More research is coming, and the applications are promising.

Evening primrose flowers are also called moonflowers because they bloom as the sun begins to set. People often say they smell like lemons.

Flax seed, also available as an oil, is one of the safer choices among plant-based dietary supplements. Harvested for thousands of years, today flax seed is praised for its antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory benefits. Although more research needs to be done with human subjects, one study says that flax seed can help prevent colon cancer.

Another study cites that flax seed has the ability to reduce blood pressure. When consumed, it can even aid in reducing obesity. The best way to add flax seed is through your diet. Sprinkle ground seeds on cereal or salad, cook in hot cereal, stew, homemade breads, or smoothies.

Add flaxseed oil to salad dressing. Flax seeds are one of a handful of plant-based sources for omega-3 fatty acids. Other sources include chia seeds, walnuts, and soybeans. One recent study said that tea tree oil slowed the growth of acne-causing microbes.

Wilson recommends that tea tree oil, as with all essential oils, should be diluted in a carrier oil. She adds that it often already comes diluted in a variety of skin care products and creams. Echinacea is a lot more than those pretty, purple coneflowers you see dotting gardens.

My hair loves them! My hair is a bit coarse with a lot of curls and wave but with this shampoo and conditioner it consistently comes out soft, smooth and shining. The Rose Face Cream is heavenly. Such a little amount goes a long way, and the scent is divine. So I started taking the headache tincture and my migraines came on less frequently and much less severe.

I would recommend this blend to anyone who gets even the slightest to severe headaches and migraines, and just wants some relief! First tried it years ago on my ankles. Thank you for continuing to make great products. We collect, use and process your data according to our Privacy Policy.

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