8 Medicinal Plants You Can Grow at Home

Grow a Healing Garden

Physic (or physick) was the name given to gardens of healing plants grown by physicians and monks in ancient times and by home gardeners well into the nineteenth century. Why not plant your own with some of these herbs? By investing a little sweat and the cost of seeds, you'll have the makings of infusions, teas, and balms. Just choose a sunny spot with rich soil for your garden. Perennial plants will grow from season to season, while annuals must be reseeded or transplanted.

1. Basil

Annual: Harvest the young leaves of what's called "the king of herbs" as needed.
Uses: Flatulence, lack of appetite, cuts, and scrapes

2. Chamomile

Annual: Use the flower heads for infusions and salves.
Uses: Indigestion, anxiety, skin inflammations.

3. Feverfew

Perennial: Use leaves and flowers for teas; chew leaves to ease headache pain.
Uses: Headaches (including migraines), arthritis, skin conditions.

4. Lemon Balm

Perennial: A relative of mint, lemon balm is a versatile medicinal herb.
Uses: Anxiety, insomnia, wounds, herpes, insect bites, flatulence, upset stomach.

5. Parsley

Biennial: Like its curly cousin P. crispum, this herb is loaded with nutrients.
Uses: Flatulence, bad breath.

6. Sage

Perennial: Sage's genus name, Salvia, means "to heal," reflecting its early use as a medicinal, not culinary, herb.
Uses: Mouth and throat inflammations.

7. St. John's Wort

Perennial: The glossy leaves and yellow flowers are this herb's active parts.
Uses: Mild to moderate depression. (Talk to your doctor first.)

8. Thyme

Perennial: The active principle in thyme, thymol, is a strong antiseptic.
Uses: Coughs, congestion, indigestion, gas.

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