Grow Your Own Medicine Cabinet
Did you know that plants were exclusively used as medicine until the 1800s? And that many of our
Western pharmaceuticals came from that plant medicine?
Reconnect with your roots and create your own medicine cabinet in your garden - or in pots on a balcony or patio!
If you are short on space, pay special attention to the herbs that have a ** next to their names - they'll give you a lot of bang for your buck.
Western pharmaceuticals came from that plant medicine?
Reconnect with your roots and create your own medicine cabinet in your garden - or in pots on a balcony or patio!
If you are short on space, pay special attention to the herbs that have a ** next to their names - they'll give you a lot of bang for your buck.
These are common, easy to grow herbs/plants that have years and years of traditional medicinal uses and that every home should have-.
To your health -
Lisa-Marie Maryott
NCU HSA Unit Chair and Clinical Herbalist
Disclaimer: It is the policy of The Herb Society of America not to advise or recommend herbs for medicinal or health use. This information is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered as a recommendation or an endorsement of any particular medical or health treatment.
- Burdock, Artcium lappa - a premier eliminator of metabolic waste while gently supporting liver function which makes it a specific for skin conditions like acne and eczema. It is moistening too. The root is the most frequently used part of the plant- it is tasty and used in infusions and decoctions as well as a vegetable in soups and broths.
- ** Calendula, Calendula officinalis - one of the best vulnerary (healing) plants we can grow, it has beautiful orange or yellow flowers and self sows so you'll always have Calendula! The flower is where the medicine is, and it is best used dried. It is also antiviral and antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic. You can make it into a tea and soak wounds or sores with it, you can drink infusions (long-steeped teas) of it to help support digestive ulcerations, or use it to make healing oils and salves (great for diaper rash too).
- ** German Chamomile, Matricaria chamomilla (or recutita) - we all know this plant, as it is frequently available as a tea at diners and restaurants. Chamomile is a digestive aid - it helps settle a sour or gassy stomach and also works on the Enteric Nervous System (did you know your digestive system has it's own nervous system?) to help calm the digestive tract. It is a specific for people who get "butterflies in the stomach" when they are nervous. It is also slightly bitter (again, aiding in digestion), a great anti-inflammatory, and vulnerary (healing).
- ** Lavender, Lavendula angustifolia - not only does it smell wonderful, but it has many medicinal qualities. It is an awesome vulnerary (healing- and it mixes well with Calendula in oils and salves), a great antiviral and antifungal plant, anti-inflammatory, and a relaxing nervine (just a whiff of it can immediately calm the spirit). It can be made into teas, oils, or tinctures (extracts), and can also be used culinarily (remember, food is medicine!).
- Mullein, Verbascum thapsus - This plant will stand out in the garden... With its beautiful, fuzzy, soft gray-green leaves and its tall stalk of yellow flowers, it will make a statement! Those leaves are used to help support the respiratory system during colds, flus, and fire season as they are mucilagenous ("gooey") and help moisturize the respiratory tract. Have a dry hacking cough? This is the plant to use. It is also anti-inflammatory. The root (which you need to take at the end of its first year as the plant is a biennial) is said to help strengthen the bladder and support its general health. The flowers are often mixed with garlic and made into an oil that can help with swimmer's ear or mild ear infections (don't use if there is a ruptured ear drum though). Teas, oils, and tinctures are ways to use this plant.
- ** Parsley, Petroselinum spp. - Who knew that Parsley was so useful in the herbal medicine cabinet? It is not only chock full of nutrients, but it is another of our great eliminators, except that this plant works as a diuretic to eliminate via the urinary system. It also freshens the breath. It has been used traditionally to eliminate kidney and bladder stones, and reduce water retention and inflammation. It's also said that rubbing it on dark spots on the skin will lighten them! It is commonly made into a tea and drunk.
- Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis - Ah, the herb of remembrance... this is because it is an awesome circulatory stimulant and anti-inflammatory that loves the brain! It also aids in digestion, is antimicrobial (has been used as a preservative for this very reason), and is wonderful added to a steam to support respiratory health. It is antiseptic and healing, so making a tea of it and using it as a wash on wounds or sores is useful. You can take it as a tea, steam, or tincture (or add it to your dishes!).
- ** Sage, Salvia officinalis - Sage is another great antimicrobial herb that is also astringent which helps pull tissue together during the healing process. Its astringent nature also makes it a plant that is used by menopausal women to reduce hot flashes and night sweats. It is used for female reproductive health and is used to reduce breast milk production during weaning. It makes a great gargle for sore throats, sores inside the mouth, and gingivitis (that astringent action helps tighten gums). Tea, tincture, or incorporated into food are the ways to reap its benefits.
- ** Thyme, Thymus vulgaris - It's time to love Thyme! This plant tastes good in so many dishes. It is a lovely plant that is antimicrobial, a digestive aid (relieves gas, stomach upset), and a relaxing expectorant that can support the movement of mucus up and out of the lungs without inducing coughing spasms. It is drying so it becomes a specific for wet, boggy coughs and conditions. It can be made into tea or tincture.
- ** Tulsi/Holy Basil, Ocimum sanctum - Yes, this is a basil that comes with some added punch. Not only is this plant like its cousins, Ocimum bascilicum (culinary basils) in that it aids in digestive health, but it is also an adaptogen, meaning that it helps the body adapt to stresses. It supports immune, endocrine, and nervous system health and works to keep them balanced. It relaxes the nervous system, and is anti-inflammatory and antioxidant too. It can be taken as a tea, infusion, or tincture (extract). It is quite tasty!
- ** Yarrow, Achillea millifolium - the white flowered version of this plant is the one that is used medicinally. It is one of the herbs that is pretty versatile, as it has many actions that make it medicinal. It is a great antimicrobial, antiseptic, and vulnerary (healing); it is stypic (stops bleeding); is bitter (stimulates the release of digestive juices); is mildly diuretic (and therefore helpful in reducing blood pressure) and helps break fevers by inducing sweating; and is anti-inflammatory. The leaves, stems, and flowers are used and can be made into tea (to drink or apply to sores and wounds) or tinctures.
To your health -
Lisa-Marie Maryott
NCU HSA Unit Chair and Clinical Herbalist
Disclaimer: It is the policy of The Herb Society of America not to advise or recommend herbs for medicinal or health use. This information is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered as a recommendation or an endorsement of any particular medical or health treatment.