Medicinal Plants to Better your Health

Chicory - Painkilling Plant

This is the wild plant that Native Americans used to look for more than any other. They'd harvest and use chicory to make a natural painkilling extract for a wide range of physical discomforts, especially stiff and achy joints. The root is rich in chicoric acid (CA), a plant compound with potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties but no risk of addiction. If our pharmacies ever run dry, having even a small patch of chicory growing in your own backyard will provide relief.

Yarrow - Wound Healer

If you ever get a toothache, try chewing on a fresh yarrow leaf as it will numb the area and provide needed relief. The beautiful yarrow flowers attract beneficial insects like bees and ladybugs, which eat aphids and other pests and also help pollinate your plants.

California Poppy - Natural Sleeping Pills

Gather any of these: leaves, flowers, or stems. Cut finely, add to a cup or pot, and pour hot water. Let it steep for about 10 minutes. Drink warm just before bed for deep, uninterrupted, and restful sleep that night. With extremely high levels of pollen production, the poppy is an important food source for beneficial insects. It also needs very little water, so the other plants will get more.

Marshmallow - Healthy Digestive System 

Pull out a few marshmallow roots, wash off the dirt, and add them to a glass jar or cup. Cover with ice-cold water and let the mucilage extract for a few hours. Drink for a soothing and restorative effect all along your digestive tract, from mouth to colon. Painted lady butterflies are attracted to it, and native pollinators cover its blossoms all summer long.

Chamomile - Natural Antibiotic

Take a handful of dried or fresh chamomile leaves and add them to a warm bath. Step inside to relax your entire body, especially sore muscles, and aching joints. Chamomile is known as "The Gardener's Doctor" as it has the power to heal and enhance the growth of the plants around it.

Evening Primrose - Skin and Nerves Health

Grab a leaf or root of the plant and crush it to make a poultice. Apply it directly to a wound or skin rash to promote healing. This plant provides food and attracts numerous species of hawk moths, which tend to move pollen farther than bees or birds, as well as butterflies and bumblebees.

Lavender - Anti-Inflamatory Herb

Gather some fresh lavender from your garden and put it in a small herb pouch. Place the pouch inside your sleeping pillow or under your mattress. It will ward off mosquitos and other insects and help you fall asleep faster. Just as it banishes bugs from your closet, it also banishes pests from the garden. It's also one of the best companion plants out there, helping many others reach their full potential. It attracts many species of butterflies, including painted ladies, woodland skippers, and tiger swallowtails. 

Echinacea - Immunity Plant 

Dig up some echinacea roots and slice them rather thinly. Put them in a pot with water and let everything simmer for 30 minutes. Drink hot for an immune boost at the first sign of a cold or any other illness. Echinacea helps keep plants moist and prevents weeds from spreading and taking over your backyard pharmacy.

Calendula - Herb That Helps You During Dark Times

During the Civil War, calendula flowers were packed directly into open wounds, and they were used by surgeons when dressing wounds to promote healing and prevent infection. Calendula helps repel insect pests and benefits the soil by forming active relationships with soil fungi.

Feverfew - Nature's Aspirin for Fevers and Migraines

Chew some of its leaves raw whenever you have a fever or feel a migraine attack is about to strike (very important to use before it does). Feverfew repels pests, hides other plants from them, and also attracts beneficial insects such as hoverflies and tachinid flies to your garden.

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