Chestnut Herbal School

The Top Ten Medicinal Herbs for the Garden:
How to Grow & Use Healing Plants

Written by Juliet Blankespoor with Meghan Gemma
Photography by Juliet Blankespoor

In an ideal world, we would each have inherited the ability to conjure a personal list of essential garden herbs, tailored to our particular climate and health concerns. As it is, many of us are re-learning the traditional art of the apothecary garden—a place where beauty, medicine, and bees reign supreme. 

My hope is that the information below inspires you, as a jumping board of sorts, to create your own unique dream herb garden. I chose each plant based on its ease of cultivation and medicinal usefulness and versatility. But bear in mind, there are many more herbs out there to choose from! 

If this article merely gets your green thumb tingling, I highly encourage you to visit our Medicinal Herb Gardening Hub, which is a lush garden in its own right—a virtual library filled with herbal gardening wisdom and resources. You’ll find cultivation tips and medicinal write-ups for dozens of herbs, featurettes on small-space and urban gardening, a roll call of medicinal seed and nursery suppliers, and a step-by-step guide to bringing your own dream garden to fruition.

1. Calendula, Pot Marigold (Calendula officinalis, Asteraceae)

Calendula is one of the most familiar and beloved herbs, earning our affection with its cheerful golden flowers. The “petals” (technically known as ray florets) are edible and the whole flower is an important medicinal herb for addressing skin conditions. There’s so much to say about calendula that I’ve written an entire article devoted to its cultivation and medicinal use: Calendula’s Herbal & Edible Uses: How to Grow, Gather, and Prepare Calendula as Food and Medicine.

Calendula flowers (whole; including the resinous green bracts) are incorporated into topical oils and salves for healing wounds, rashes, burns, and dry skin. This plant holds an interesting claim to fame—it is the herb most likely to be found in diaper rash ointments and creams. For more on using calendula topically, see my recipes for Calendula Oil & Salve and Calendula Poultice.

Internally, calendula flowers are used in teas, tinctures, and broths as an antifungal, antibacterial, lymphagogue (stimulates the lymphatic system), emmenagogue (stimulates the menses), and digestive anti-inflammatory. It is one of my favorite remedies, along with meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) and licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), for GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) and peptic ulcers—see my recipe for Herbal Digestive Calendula Tea.


Calendula officinalis flower


I plant calendula close to my front porch so I can enjoy the blooms, and watch the hum of pollinator activity all summer long. Calendula prefers full sun and average garden soil.  It is easily grown from seed—you can direct sow or start early in pots; the seedlings are somewhat cold tolerant. 

Calendula does well as a container plant, hence the common name “pot marigold.” Plant 10-14 inches (25-35.5 cm) apart; grows to 18 inches (46 cm) tall. Calendula’s sticky flowers must be picked every two to three days to ensure a longer flowering season. Calendula will usually self-sow unless you mulch heavily. It is typically grown as an annual, but can be cultivated as a short-lived perennial in warmer climes (Zone 8-10). For more details on growing and enjoying calendula, please visit my article here.

Calendula ice cubes and calendula garnish

Calendula ice cubes and calendula garnish

2. Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca, Lamiaceae)

Motherwort is one of the easiest herbs to grow and is a highly versatile medicinal. It is one of my favorite remedies for anxiety and stress. It is taken as a tincture or tea to lessen pain, such as: headaches, menstrual cramps, and muscle sprains and aches. I will add that motherwort is quite bitter, so I often recommend it as a tincture over tea. 

It is an ally for many people who experience menopause for easing hot flashes and hormonal-induced irritability. Motherwort is also used in childbirth to help strengthen contractions; it is the only herb I used giving birth to my daughter! Finally, motherwort fully lives up to its name in helping to increase parental patience. Many parents find that motherwort softens the edginess brought on by sleep deprivation, endless laundry and dishes, and uppity wee folk.

Motherwort

Motherwort is a short-lived herbaceous perennial, plant it in full sun to part shade. Hardy to Zone 4. Plant 18-24 inches (46-60 cm) apart; grows 3 to 5 feet (.9-1.5 m) tall. The seeds can be stratified (placed in damp sand in the refrigerator) for two weeks before planting, and will generally germinate in one week if placed in a warm spot, such as a greenhouse or sunny window. You can find a detailed guide on stratification in my article on Cultivating Woodland Herbs.

In many climates, motherwort will self-sow enthusiastically and can be quite weedy, so you may want to plant it where it can do its thing without stepping on anyone’s toes. Motherwort easily transplants; consider asking a neighboring herbalist if you can dig up any extra plants. Harvest the leaves and flowers at the height of its bloom—but be careful; this plant is prickly!

Passionflower harvest (Passiflora incarnata)

3. Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata, Passifloraceae)

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 (.9 m) apart and trellis—they can climb 5 feet (1.5 m) or more by the end of summer! 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.

Passionflower

Passionflower will spread throughout the garden if it’s happy, which may make you happy, or not, depending on how big your garden is. It’s easy enough to pull up any runners emerging in inopportune locations, and either transplant them or give them to your uptight neighbor. And then just when you think you cannot contain the vines’ exuberance, and begin to see it as a nuisance, it will up and die from heartache. 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.

4. Echinacea or Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea, Asteraceae)

Purple coneflower is one of the most popular garden ornamentals with its showy purple flowers that attract all manner of butterflies and bees. Not only is it gorgeous, it’s easy to grow—echinacea is a decidedly unfussy plant, withstanding drought, disease, and insect infestations. Purple coneflower’s (another name for echinacea) roots, seeds, and fresh flowers are all medicinal, and can be made into a tingly tasting, immune-stimulating tea or tincture.

Echinacea is an herbaceous perennial, coming back to the garden year after year. Plant in full sun for the best flower production, 1-2 feet (30-60 cm) apart; grows to 3-4 feet (.9-1.2 m) tall. 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 2-3 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.

 

Echinacea purpurea

5. Holy Basil, Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum syn. O. sanctum, Lamiaceae)

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 1-1.5 feet (30-45 cm) apart, grows 1-2 feet tall (30-60 cm).

Tulsi harvest

Holy basil is easy to grow from seed, but take care not to plant the seeds too deep (they’re tiny). 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.

6. Meadowsweet, Queen of the Meadow (Filipendula ulmaria, Rosaceae)

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

Meadowsweet is a hardy perennial in Zones 2-8, growing to 4 feet (1.2 m) tall and 2.5 feet (76 cm) wide. 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 haven’t such a spot, try planting it in a low dip in the garden and water it during drought.  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.

7. Jiaogulan, Southern Ginseng, or Sweet Tea Vine (Gynostemma pentaphyllum, Cucurbitaceae)

Jiaogulan is a popular folk herb in Southeast Asia where it is grown as an affordable substitute for ginseng (Panax spp., Araliaceae). 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. When I had my herb nursery, well-dressed ladies would inquire, with a southern syrupy drawl, about “sweet-tea” vine, thinking they had hit the jackpot—a sweet tea they could grow themselves!

Jiaogulan


Southern ginseng is an herbaceous perennial vine hardy to 10 degrees F (-12 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. Joe is likely the person most responsible for jiaogulan’s recent popularity as a garden medicinal in the United States.

Jiaogulan growing as a potted porch plant

8. Spilanthes, Toothache plant (Acmella oleracea, Asteraceae)

This striking plant has golden, globe-shaped flowers with a red center, leading one seed company to market them as “eyeball plant.” Spilanthes is an interesting herb to behold and to taste! 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. I often add it to formulas with echinacea as an immune stimulant for augmenting the body’s internal defenses against the common cold and flu. You can read more about spilanthes and other herbal immune stimulants here.

Spilanthes

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. Toothache plant easily transplants and will self-sow if you don’t mulch too heavily. The self-sown sprouts take their time coming up—I don’t usually see them until June here in the southern Appalachians. 

You can harvest the plants a few times during the growing season—cut the plants back to 6 inches (15 cm), and if there’s still time left before a frost, they will regrow nicely. One to two plants will yield over a quart of tincture. Protect the plants from slugs, as they will devour it—slug candy, indeed!

9. Stinging Nettles (Urtica dioica, Urticaceae)

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

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 3-4 feet (.9-1.2 m) tall by indefinitely wide, and prefers full sun to part shade and rich moist soil. Zones 4-8. 

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. Many gardeners make “tea” out of nettles by soaking the leaves in a bucket until fermentation occurs—the “tea” can then be used to water plants, thus fertilizing the plants, along with adding beneficial microorganisms.

10. Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa, Lamiaceae)

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 3-4 feet (.9-1.2 m) tall by indefinitely wide. It likes full sun and average to well-drained soils. Zones 3-8. 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). For most gardeners, it’s easier to purchase a plant or divide a bit of the root from a friend’s plant. 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

Harvesting calendula flowers amongst shiso, tulsi, passionflower, and California poppy

May your gardens be abundant and provide nourishment, healing and beauty in your lives!

Web Resources and Books

Visit our Medicinal Herb Gardening Hub for all of our personally-penned articles on growing the herb garden of your greenest dreams. We’ve included a wee sample below, along with a selection of herb gardening books that we love.

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.

Medicinal Herb Seeds and Plants

Below are a few of our favorite places to purchase medicinal seeds and starts, but please see our online roll call for Herbal Seed Suppliers and Nurseries—we’ve included links and descriptions to make it easy as anise hyssop!

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. One of my go-to’s for over two decades. 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?

Remember, we’ve got a wheelbarrow-full of herb gardening and seed starting resources on the blog. Come on over to browse, pick up our personal gardening tips, and learn about our can’t-live-without garden medicinals.

Meet Our Contributors:

Juliet Blankespoor

JULIET BLANKESPOOR is the founder, primary instructor, and Creative Director of the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine, an online school serving thousands of students from around the globe. 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. Juliet’s lifelong captivation with medicinal weeds and herb gardening has birthed many botanical enterprises over the decades, including an herbal nursery and a farm-to-apothecary herbal products business. 

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 Gemma of Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine.

MEGHAN GEMMA is one of  Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine's primary instructors through her written lessons, sharing herbal and wild foods wisdom from the flowery heart of the school to an ever-wider field of herbalists, gardeners, healers, and plant lovers.

She began her journey with the Chestnut School in 2010—as an intern and manager at the Chestnut Herb Nursery and then as a plant-smitten student “back in the day” when the school’s programs were taught in the field, and later she became part of the school’s writing team. Meghan lives in the Ivy Creek watershed, just north of Asheville, North Carolina.

Interested in becoming a contributor?

 

© Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine and chestnutherbs.com, 2011-2024. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. 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.

Learn more about cultivation, identification, and uses for medicinal herbs in our 1,000-hour Herbal Immersion Program, which is the most comprehensive handcrafted online herbal course out there.

full-page-ad

45 thoughts on “The Top Ten Medicinal Herbs for the Garden: How to Grow & Use Healing Plants

  1. 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? Because I didn’t have them wet constantly. 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! Maybe I just don’t have a green thumb. My soil in my pots are bagged potting soil. HELP PLEASE! Thank you!

    • Sarah Sorci says:

      After seeds are moistened and “woken up,” they may not germinate if they completely dry out after that. The soil shouldn’t be soggy, but the seeds should have relatively consistent moisture. According to this Johnny’s Seeds page on spilanthes, seeds germinate at temperatures between 72 and 76 degrees F.

      Echinacea and meadowsweet both benefit from a period of cold/moist stratification before planting. You can learn more about this special germination strategy in this Blog Castanea article, “Guidelines to Growing Medicinal Herbs from Seed.”

  2. Dixie Hawthorne says:

    Perhaps it was the richness of the soil, but I planted a single toothache plant last year that completely took over a 4′ x 7′ bed, hanging over on all sides, and reaching heights of over 4′!!!! I guess it was an overachiever!

    • Wow! I’m glad to hear that spilanthes was so happy in your garden. I’ve never heard of it growing that tall, though I’ve seen it get quite spready when it’s in the right environment!

  3. Okay, forget about the flowers for a sec, just WHAT is that CREATURE on the WILD BERGAMOT??? It’s so pretty! It kind of looks like a shrimp? My sister and I HAVE to know what that thing is!

  4. It’s great to know more about medicinal herbs. I like how you said that marigolds actually have antibacterial properties. That’s pretty great! I’d love to have herbal remedies in my backyard garden.

  5. love the poste !!!
    Thank you for your intelligent post and for helping others become more aware. You made more sense than others who speak within this same area of expertise and I am really glad I found your blog-website. I’ve joined your social networks and will keep an eye out for future great posts as well. Additionally, I have shared your site in my social networks as well. Thank you again!

  6. thank you for sharing with us these holy medicine herbs!!
    we have alot of Holy Basil . my mom told me its dangerus basil specially when the wound is open
    is there a dangerous basil for real!? or its myth

    • Sara Kinney says:

      Holy basil is a gentle herb, however you always want to be careful with open wounds. Don’t put any plant parts directly on an open wound as it could get lodged there and lead to an infection. There are many common names for each plant, so I’m not sure which plant your mom is referring to.

  7. What a wonderful list! I’m hoping to add medicinals to my small nursery and this is a great start.

    Regarding the echinacea, do the varietals have the same value? For example, I have the stunning Echinacea purpurea ‘Magnus’. Is it ok to use?

    • Echinacea purpurea, E. angustifolia, and less commonly E. pallida are all used medicinally. There are a lot of varieties and cultivars of Echinacea on the market these days – these are bred for their ornamental beauty, and not for their medicinal value. Be wary of these cultivars, which are designated by a name in single quotation marks following the scientific name. While “Magnus” is a variety of E. purpurea, I’d suggest using the straight species if possible if you’re planning to use the plant medicinally.

        • It’s our preference to use the straight species for medicine, rather than a cultivar. Cultivars have typically been bred to accentuate one of the plant’s aesthetic qualities, like the color of its petals, and not its medicinal strength. While they may still have some of the medicinal qualities of their ancestor, we prefer to use the straight species such as Echinacea pallida. Cultivars are listed by a name in quotation marks after the scientific name, like Echinacea ‘Cheyenne Spirit.’

  8. Could all this herbs be planted in the same area ?(for some plants don’t go well being in the same area)
    Can they survive in hot weather country (eg.malaysia)?

  9. I love,love,love, your blog! I am so anxious to get started on my herb garden this yr since I really enjoyed my patio garden last summer. I’m a newbie at gardening especially with herbs. I love the benefits of organic and herbal gardening I did ok for my first time had more luck with the herbs than vegetables! I learned never plant a vegetable garden close to the house it attracted the wrong pests! My only concern with going crazy like I want with the wonderful herbs you’ve mentioned is one-my dogs who nibble on everything two- whether or not they will flourish in last yrs veggie garden and other areas that I would need to remove tough ground covers like ivy that I’m tired of its taking over everything and now the weeds pop up thorny types and all! It will grow back if pulled but killing it I’m not sure if that’s safe for future plants or animals??? Thank you for your wonderful and funny posts!!!

  10. I am sooo happy I came upon your lovely blog – with the most helpful, fun-filled info, wonderful pictures and just lovely reading!! It is like meeting a dear friend and having really good long chat! I live in Australia, love growing herbs and everything else I can lay my greedy paws on – at the moment propagating whatever I can for the people who lost their houses -and indeed whole town- in the recent horrible fires. If only I could have walked over to your patch for cuttings!!
    You are spreading joy as well as valuable knowledge, thanks ever so much, and God Bless!!

  11. taylor miller says:

    I really enjoyed your information! The pictures are outstanding! Thank you for the great web resources and books!

  12. Juliet, your beeeeautiful blog posts make me HAPPY! They make me laugh and they make me want to plant more herbs. This one may be my favorite yet for your unique giggle moments (parental plant guilt, passionflower to uptight neighbors, syruppy sweet southern ladies;). Just what I needed this morning to start off with a smile:) I wish you lived next door to me – always have! ,<3 maureen

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes:

<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>