A Beginner's Medicinal Herb Garden

Many of the most useful medicinal herbs are also very pretty plants to grow in your garden. Even if you have only a small area for your herbs, you can select interesting foliage and a nice mix of flower colors which will make your medicinal herb garden a showplace. The herbs listed below will attract bees and butterflies when they bloom, so you will have the added benefit of their pollination for the rest of your garden, too.

The following herbs are available as seeds or plants from many seed companies and nurseries. You should be able to find them easily. They are also easy to grow, and once established, they will re-seed themselves or they can be propagated by divisions, giving you continuous new plant material to work with or to trade with other gardeners.

Calendula: Calendula officinalis. Annual, self-seeding. Calendula are in the marigold family. Ligulate florets (most people incorrectly call them petals) are used to make a tincture or an extract to treat dermatological problems. Calendula is commercially available today for topical use on skin inflammation that results from cancer radiation-therapy and on other rashes and skin problems. A calendula tea is sometimes used as a hair rinse for scalp issues such as dandruff.

German Chamomile: Matricaria recutita OR Matricaria chamomilla. Annual, self-seeding, it grows to 14-20 inches tall. Use fresh or dried. Make a relaxing tea from the dried flowers to combat stress. Use as a sedative, nerve tonic, and externally as a skin cleanser. Pleasant apple scent. Feathery leaves add a nice texture to your garden's appearance.

Roman Chamomile: Chamaemelum nobilis. Perennial, low growing invasive ground cover hardy to -20F. Same pleasing apple scent, same uses as German. This variety is only 6" high, and is nice along a garden walk where it releases its perfume if you step on it or brush against it. It should be contained or it will take over. (It smells really good If you find yourself having to weed it out...makes the chore a pleasant one)

Lemon Balm: Melissa officinalis. Perennial, self seeds, grows to 24" tall. Use fresh or dried flowers, leaves, and stems. Lemon Balm tea calms nerves and improves heart function. It is a remedy for insomnia, has antibacterial and antiviral properties, and extract may be used in liquid form or in ointment or cream to soothe and help heal minor scrapes, cuts, stings and bug bites.

Coneflowers: Echinacea purpurea. Perennial, self-seeding, or root divisions. Use echinacea fresh or dried, all flowers, leaves, and roots may be used. This is the familiar variety with large purple daisy-like flowers. Echinacea is a general immune system booster, and it is also used to fight infections and to elevate mood.

Echinacea angustifolia: Perennial, self-seeding. This is the larger native variety that grows to 5' tall and 5' wide; it is covered with smaller 2" pink or violet flowers. This is the Echinacea that was used widely by Native Americans. Used today as antibacterial, immune system stimulant, and as an insecticide. The root is the potent, useful part of E.angustifolia.

Rue: Ruta graveolens. Perennial, 2-3 foot tall hardy evergreen, rue is used fresh or dried. It is said to relieve sore throat and headache. It is used in ointment for joint pain, and as an antidote for poisons as emetic. Rue is one of the plants that has been used medicinally for centuries. It appears in ancient writings in formulas for various medical treatments. Rue should be used with caution, since it can have severe adverse side effects. It should never be used by pregnant or lactating women, or those of childbearing age. Large amounts of rue extracts may cause kidney damage and liver degeneration.
NOTE: Meadow Rue: Thalictrum aquilegifolium is an unrelated plant of the columbine family.

Valerian: Valeriana officinalis. Perennial, grown from seeds or divisions. Valerian can grow to 5' tall with white, pink, or lavender clustered flower heads. Valerian root is the part of the plant that is used, and roots should be harvested from plants that are at least 3 years old. The root should be dried and used to make a tea. Its use as an insomnia remedy is legendary. Valerian was carried on the Mayflower for medical purposes and was planted in Colonial gardens.

Hyssop: Hyssopus officinalis. Annual, self-seeding. Flowers and leaves are used fresh or dried. Hyssop grows to 2' high and has a "spike" of tiny bluish-pink flowers in late summer. The scent of hyssop will remind you of basil; it is very aromatic. Hyssop tea is used to treat cold, flu, bronchitis; it has some anti-viral properties, and it is soothing to the throat.

White Horehound: Marrubium Vulgare. Perennial, grown from seeds or starts. It grows 2 feet tall, and has soft fuzzy leaves and small white flowers. Used as a tea to treat coughs and colds. Horehound drops and horehound cough syrups are traditional remedies for sore throat and cough.

Source:
Experience and Love of gardening
Many seed and nursery catalogs will give you information about the specific plants they sell.