10 Best Herbs for a Medicinal Herb Garden
If you’ve been following along with this herb garden series, we’ve explored a wide range of herbs, from the best for beginners to what to grow in your tea garden. This time, we’re stepping into a tradition with a long history: the medicinal herb garden.
Long before modern pharmacies existed, people turned to the plants growing around them. Herbs were gathered from cottage gardens, meadows and hedgerows, then dried, infused, steeped or preserved for future use. Knowledge of these plants was often passed from one generation to the next, becoming part of everyday household life.
One of the things I love most about apothecary herbs is that many of them are beautiful garden plants in their own right. Calendula glows like sunshine through the summer garden. Lavender hums with bees. Yarrow adds structure and movement. Even humble plantain, often dismissed as a weed, reveals itself as a remarkably useful herb once you begin to look at it differently.
Whether you’re creating a dedicated medicinal herb garden or simply adding a few useful plants to existing beds and borders, these are some of the best herbs to begin growing.
What You’ll Learn in This Guide
- The best herbs for a medicinal herb garden
- Traditional uses and preparations for each herb
- Common mistakes new herbal gardeners make
- How to start creating your own home apothecary
A Note About Herbalism
A home apothecary isn’t about replacing modern medicine. It’s about reconnecting with traditional skills, learning the history of useful plants and growing herbs that can be transformed into teas, salves, infused oils, syrups, baths and other simple preparations.
The herbs in this guide have long histories in traditional herbal practice. This article is intended for educational and gardening purposes only and is not medical advice. Always research herbs thoroughly and consult a qualified healthcare professional before using herbs medicinally, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications or managing a health condition.
Table of Contents
Calendula
Calendula is one of those plants that can immediately give a medicinal herb garden a sense of purpose. Its cheerful orange and golden flowers bloom continuously through much of the growing season, producing basket after basket of petals that can be dried and stored for later use. It is one of those plants that earns its place twice over: beautiful enough to brighten the garden and productive enough to keep harvesting all season.
The flowers contain a fascinating collection of naturally occurring compounds, and their long history in traditional herbalism has made calendula one of the classic plants for a home apothecary.
Growing Conditions: Full sun and average, well-drained garden soil. Easy to grow from seed and often blooms until frost, especially when flowers are harvested regularly.
What Makes It Useful: Calendula flowers contain flavonoids, carotenoids and triterpene compounds. Flavonoids and carotenoids contribute antioxidant activity, while several triterpene compounds have been studied for their anti-inflammatory properties. The flowers’ carotenoid content is also responsible for much of their vivid orange and golden coloring.
Traditional Uses: Calendula has traditionally been used in topical preparations for minor skin irritation and wounds, as well as minor inflammation of the mouth and throat. The dried flowers can be infused into oil for salves and balms or added to bath blends and other topical preparations. Calendula can also be prepared as a tea.
Chamomile
Chamomile may be best known as a tea herb, but it has earned a place in medicinal herb gardens for generations. Its small, daisy-like flowers bring softness to garden beds while providing one of the most familiar herbs in traditional herbalism.
Harvesting chamomile is a slow and satisfying process. Each tiny blossom is gathered individually, dried and tucked away for future use. The resulting jars often become some of the most frequently used ingredients in a home herbal collection.
Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade with light, well-drained soil. Chamomile can be easily grown from seed and benefits from regular harvesting once the flowers are fully open.
What Makes It Useful: Chamomile flowers contain flavonoids including apigenin, along with volatile compounds such as bisabolol and chamazulene. Apigenin has been studied for its interaction with certain receptors in the nervous system, while chamomile’s volatile oils and other compounds have been investigated for anti-inflammatory and soothing properties.
Traditional Uses: Chamomile has traditionally been used as a gentle digestive and relaxing herb, particularly as an evening tea. It has also been incorporated into preparations for minor digestive discomfort and skin irritation, as well as aromatic preparations intended to promote relaxation. It can be used in teas, bath soaks, herbal pillows, steam blends and simple topical preparations.
Lemon Balm
If there is one herb that consistently earns its place in every herb garden I grow, it is lemon balm. Part of the mint family, lemon balm produces abundant harvests of bright green leaves with a fresh lemon fragrance. Its cheerful scent alone makes it worth growing, but its long history as a household herb gives it an even stronger case for the apothecary garden.
Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade with moderately moist soil. Lemon balm is vigorous, which makes it especially useful in a medicinal herb garden. It can spread readily so growing it in a container is often the easiest way to keep it contained.
What Makes It Useful: Lemon balm contains rosmarinic acid and other polyphenolic compounds, along with volatile oils that include citral and citronellal. Rosmarinic acid has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that have been studied in laboratory and clinical research, while lemon balm’s aromatic compounds contribute to its distinctive lemon scent and flavor. Its combination of aromatic oils and polyphenols is part of what has made the plant interesting in traditional herbalism.
Traditional Uses: Lemon balm has a history of use as a calming and digestive herb. It has been prepared as a tea for nervous tension, restlessness and occasional digestive discomfort. It has also been used in evening herbal preparations. Its lemony flavor makes it particularly easy to incorporate into everyday herbal routines. Use in teas, tinctures, glycerites, syrups and infused honey.
Peppermint
Peppermint is one of the most recognizable herbs in the world and one of the easiest to grow. Its cooling fragrance seems to fill the garden on warm afternoons, and its vigorous growth ensures a generous harvest throughout the growing season. Most gardeners quickly discover that peppermint produces far more leaves than they can immediately use — which is exactly what makes it such a valuable apothecary herb.
Growing Conditions: Partial shade to full sun with consistently moist soil. Peppermint spreads aggressively through underground runners, so containers are the best way to keep it contained.
What Makes It Useful: Peppermint leaves are rich in volatile oils, particularly menthol and menthone, which give the plant its unmistakable cooling aroma and flavor. Menthol is responsible for the characteristic cooling sensation associated with peppermint. And its aromatic oils have been studied for their potential role in digestive comfort and their ability to help relax the digestive tract. These concentrated volatile compounds are also what make peppermint so useful in aromatic preparations.
Traditional Uses: Peppermint has a long history as a digestive herb. Traditionally, the leaves have been prepared as a tea or other herbal preparation for occasional digestive discomfort, bloating and gas. The strong aromatic quality of the plant has also made peppermint a popular ingredient in steam preparations and other traditional aromatic blends, including syrups, infused honey and tinctures.
Lavender
Lavender brings another dimension to the medicinal herb garden, combining an attractive garden plant with an herb valued for its fragrance and usefulness. It also holds the position as being one of my all time favorite herbs.
Even before it is harvested, it contributes something meaningful to the garden. Bees gather around the flowers, the scent drifts through warm air and the silvery foliage creates structure among surrounding plants. Once harvested and dried, lavender becomes one of the most versatile herbs in the apothecary. Its flowers can be used in everything from aromatic preparations and bath blends to teas and infused oils, making it a particularly rewarding plant to grow when space is limited.
Growing Conditions: Full sun and sharply drained soil. Lavender prefers lean, well-drained soil and does not tolerate consistently wet roots. Good air circulation is especially helpful in humid climates.
What Makes It Useful: Lavender flowers contain volatile oils, particularly linalool and linalyl acetate, which are responsible for much of the plant’s distinctive fragrance. These compounds have been studied for their calming and aromatic properties. In addition, lavender’s essential oils have also been investigated for antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity.
Traditional Uses: Lavender is used as an aromatic and calming herb. It has been used in preparations intended to promote relaxation and sleep, as well as for minor digestive discomfort. The flowers have also been valued for their fragrance and incorporated into household preparations, bath blends and personal care. It can be incorporated into sachets, sleep pillows, infused oils, aromatic blends and tea.
Holy Basil (Tulsi)
Tulsi occupies a unique place in herbal traditions around the world. Unlike culinary basil, which is grown primarily for cooking, tulsi is cultivated specifically for its herbal uses. Its spicy, clove-like aroma fills the garden during summer and the more you harvest it, the more productive it becomes.
Many gardeners find that tulsi quickly becomes one of their most frequently harvested herbs, particularly because the leaves can be gathered throughout the growing season and dried for later use (during peak summer I can harvest daily and never run out).
Growing Conditions: Full sun and consistently moist, well-drained soil. Tulsi is a warm-season annual that grows vigorously and benefits from regular harvesting to encourage branching and new growth.
What Makes It Useful: Tulsi contains aromatic compounds including eugenol, linalool and rosmarinic acid, along with other polyphenols. Eugenol contributes to its distinctive clove-like fragrance, while rosmarinic acid and other polyphenolic compounds have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that have been studied in laboratory research.
Traditional Uses: Tulsi has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic herbal practice. It is traditionally regarded as an adaptogenic herb, a term used in herbal traditions for plants believed to help the body respond to physical and emotional stress. The leaves are commonly prepared as a tea and traditionally used for general wellbeing, digestive support and respiratory comfort. You can also use tulsi in tinctures, oxymels, infused honey and herbal blends.
Ready to Go Beyond the Garden?
Growing your own herbs is only the beginning. If you want to learn more about herbalism and build a medicinal herb garden and home apothecary of your own, I’ve created a self-guided herbalism curriculum to help you do exactly that.
Work through the sections and exercises at your own pace as you learn about herbs, traditional preparations and the practical skills behind creating your own home apothecary.
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Yarrow
Yarrow feels like one of those plants that belongs in every medicinal herb garden. Its fern-like foliage and broad flower clusters add texture and structure while attracting beneficial insects and pollinators. It is tough, resilient and remarkably adaptable to a wide range of growing conditions.
Historically, few herbs have accumulated as much folklore and traditional use as yarrow. It has been valued for generations as a versatile household herb, and its feathery leaves and long-lasting flowers make it just as useful in the garden as they are in the apothecary.
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil. Yarrow is drought-tolerant once established and thrives in lean or average soil. It spreads readily by rhizomes, so give it room or contain it if you want to keep it from wandering.
What Makes It Useful: Yarrow contains flavonoids, volatile oils, sesquiterpene lactones and other plant compounds. Its volatile oils include compounds such as chamazulene and camphor, while its flavonoids and other constituents have been studied for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. The plant’s combination of aromatic compounds and bitter constituents helps explain its long history in traditional herbal preparations.
Traditional Uses: Yarrow has traditionally been used as a digestive and bitter herb. It has a long history of use as a tea for occasional digestive discomfort. Yarrow was also used externally in bath blends, poultices and compresses and incorporated into traditional preparations for minor wounds and skin complaints.
Sage
Sage has been valued for centuries as both a culinary herb and an apothecary herb. Its silvery foliage remains attractive throughout the growing season and dries exceptionally well after harvest. Even the scent of sage feels grounding and familiar, carrying a long history of household use.
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil. Sage prefers relatively dry conditions once established and does not thrive in consistently wet soil. Regular harvesting encourages fresh growth and helps keep the plant compact.
What Makes It Useful: Sage leaves contain volatile oils including thujone, camphor and 1,8-cineole, along with rosmarinic acid and other polyphenolic compounds. These aromatic compounds contribute to sage’s distinctive fragrance and flavor, while its polyphenols have been studied for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.
Traditional Uses: Sage has a long history of traditional use as a digestive and aromatic herb. It has been prepared as a tea for occasional digestive discomfort and as a gargle or rinse for the mouth and throat. Sage has also been used in traditional preparations for excessive sweating and as an aromatic herb in household herbal practices, such as steams and tinctures.
A note on sage: Common sage contains thujone, which can be toxic in high amounts or with prolonged use. Follow appropriate preparation guidance rather than assuming that more concentrated means more beneficial.
Mullein
Mullein is the sort of plant that can look almost ordinary at first glance, until you see it growing in its full glory. Its large, velvety leaves form a striking rosette close to the ground before sending up a tall flowering stalk covered in small yellow blossoms. It has an unmistakable presence in the garden and a long history of traditional herbal use that makes it especially well suited to a medicinal herb garden.
Mullein is also a wonderful reminder that useful herbs don’t always have to be delicate or demanding. This is a hardy plant that can thrive in conditions where fussier garden plants might struggle.
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil. Mullein prefers relatively dry, lean soil and is often found growing in disturbed ground, meadows and open areas. It is a biennial, forming a large leafy rosette during its first year before sending up its tall flowering stalk in the second year. Once established, it can (and will!) readily self-seed when conditions are right.
What Makes It Useful: Mullein leaves and flowers contain mucilage, flavonoids, saponins and other plant compounds. Mucilage is a naturally occurring substance that becomes slippery when mixed with water. Mullein flowers also contain flavonoids and other compounds that have been studied for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.
Traditional Uses: Mullein has a long history of traditional use for respiratory and throat comfort. The leaves and flowers are prepared as teas and infusions for coughs and throat irritation. The leaves are used in poultices, compresses and other external preparations. Mullein flowers have additionally been infused into oil for traditional ear preparations. The plant is useful in the apothecary throughout its life cycle, with the leaves available during the first year and the flowers providing another harvest once the flowering stalk appears.
Plantain
Plantain may be the most overlooked herb in the entire apothecary garden. Many people spend years trying to remove it from lawns and pathways before discovering its long history in traditional herbal practice. It lacks the showy flowers of calendula or lavender, but it makes up for that in usefulness.
Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade with average soil and moderate moisture. Plantain is remarkably adaptable and tolerates compacted soil, foot traffic and less-than-ideal growing conditions. It can be grown intentionally or simply harvested from areas where it already grows, provided the location is free from pesticides and other contaminants (and you have the permission of the landowner).
What Makes It Useful: Plantain leaves contain mucilage, flavonoids, tannins and other plant compounds. The mucilage can form a soothing, slippery texture when the leaves are prepared with water. Plantain also contains compounds that have been studied for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.
Traditional Uses: Plantain has a long history of external use in herbalism. Fresh leaves have traditionally been crushed or bruised and applied to skin irritations, insect bites and small wounds, while infused oils and poultices have been used in other traditional skin preparations. The leaves have also been prepared as teas in traditional herbal practice.
Common Medicinal Herb Garden Mistakes
Growing herbs for a medicinal herb garden is only part of the process. Knowing when to harvest, how to preserve what you’ve grown and how to keep track of your plants will make your home apothecary much more useful over time.
Harvesting at the Wrong Time
Different parts of a plant are harvested at different stages of growth. Leaves are often harvested before or around flowering, while flowers are generally gathered when they are fully open and roots are typically harvested when the plant is dormant. Harvesting on a dry morning after the dew has evaporated can also help prevent excess moisture from complicating the drying process. When in doubt, check the specific harvesting recommendations for each herb rather than assuming every plant follows the same schedule.
Improper Drying and Storage
Even beautifully grown herbs can be ruined by poor drying. Spread leaves and flowers in a single layer or hang small bundles somewhere warm, dry and well ventilated, away from direct sunlight. Herbs need to be completely dry before storage — leaves should crumble rather than bend, and thicker plant material should not feel cool or damp in the center. Once dry, store herbs in clean, airtight, labeled containers away from heat, light and moisture.
Neglecting Good Record Keeping
A simple notebook can become one of the most valuable tools in your herbal garden. Record when you planted each herb, when it flowered, when you harvested it, which parts you collected and how you dried and stored them. You can also note which varieties performed well, how much you harvested and which preparations you enjoyed using. Over several seasons, these notes can help you understand which plants truly earn their place in your medicinal herb garden.
Building Your Medicinal Herb Garden
The best medicinal herb gardens are not built all at once. They grow slowly, season by season, as your knowledge grows alongside the plants themselves. If you’re just starting out, there is no need to fill an entire garden bed. Begin with a handful of herbs that are productive, forgiving and versatile enough to introduce you to different types of herbal preparations.
Consider starting with:
- Calendula
- Chamomile
- Lemon Balm
- Peppermint
- Lavender
Whether you’re growing in containers, adding herbs to existing beds or planning a dedicated medicinal herb garden, start with plants you know you’ll actually use.
As your garden grows, so will your collection of dried herbs, infused oils, teas and other simple preparations. If you’d like a little help organizing what to grow and when, my Apothecary Garden Formula is available in the Bramble & Bloom Studio Etsy shop, to help you pick your plants, design your garden and build your own home apothecary over time
And if you’re building your herb garden one purpose at a time, this is just one part of the journey. Keep exploring the rest of the series to find herbs for your kitchen, your tea cupboard, your containers and the wildlife that visits your garden.
- 10 Easy Herbs to Grow for Beginners
- 10 Low Maintenance Herbs that Are Easy to Grow
- 10 Best Kitchen Garden Herbs for Cooking
- 10 Best Herbs for Pollinators and Wildlife
- 10 Best Herbs for Container Gardening
- 10 Best Herbs for Tea
