Medicinal Garden Plants: Nine Worth Growing
These nine earn their space: easy to grow, useful, and mostly perennial so they come back each year. The notes below are what each is traditionally used for - traditional use is not the same as proven, and that distinction matters.
The nine, and what each needs
| Plant | Traditionally used for | Spacing | Perennial? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chamomile | Sleep, digestion | 20cm | Self-seeds |
| Calendula | Skin, as an oil or salve | 30cm | Self-seeds |
| Echinacea | Colds | 45-60cm | Yes (slow) |
| Lemon balm | Anxiety, sleep | 45cm | Yes (spreads) |
| Thyme | Coughs, sore throats | 25-30cm | Yes |
| Sage | Sore throats, as a gargle | 60cm | Yes |
| Peppermint | Digestion, blocked nose | 45cm | Yes (spreads) |
| Feverfew | Headaches | 20cm | Self-seeds |
| Marshmallow | Dry coughs, irritated throat | 60cm | Yes (tall) |
Notes on the tricky ones
Marshmallow is tall and permanent
It reaches 1.5m and does not like being moved. Give it a spot at the back you will not want to dig up. The root is the part used, and it takes two years to be worth harvesting.
Echinacea is slow
Year one it looks like nothing is happening. Year two it flowers. Do not give up on it in July of the first year - that is normal.
Lemon balm, peppermint and feverfew take over
All three spread by runners or seed. Sink them in pots up to the rim, or accept that they will colonise the bed. Mint in open ground is a permanent decision.
Lavender hates wet cold more than cold
If it dies over winter, the cause is usually drainage, not temperature. Add grit to the planting hole and do not mulch right up to the stem.
How to harvest each part
- Flowers (chamomile, calendula, lavender) - pick at full open, in the morning after dew
- Leaves (thyme, sage, lemon balm, peppermint) - pick before the plant flowers, when the oils are strongest
- Roots (marshmallow, echinacea) - lift in autumn of year two or three, slice and dry
- Whole aerial parts (feverfew) - cut at flowering and hang
For the drying temperatures and how to tell when each is properly dry, see how to dry herbs at home.
How much space for all nine
About a 2m x 3m bed, or roughly twelve medium pots for the smaller species. The layout notes - sun, grouping, leaving room to dry - are in medicinal garden layout.
Safety, briefly
- Feverfew can cause mouth ulcers in some people and is not for pregnancy
- Sage in medicinal quantities is not for pregnancy or breastfeeding
- Echinacea interacts with immunosuppressants
- Herbs contain active compounds - that is why they do anything at all. Check anything new against your medications.
Common questions
What are the best medicinal plants to grow?
Chamomile, calendula, echinacea, lemon balm, thyme, sage, peppermint, feverfew and marshmallow.
Which medicinal herbs spread and need a pot?
Lemon balm, peppermint and feverfew - sink the pots to the rim or give them their own bed.
How much space do nine medicinal herbs need?
About a 2m x 3m bed, or roughly twelve medium pots.
Which medicinal herbs are perennial?
Echinacea, lavender, lemon balm, marshmallow, yarrow, sage and thyme. Chamomile, calendula and feverfew self-seed instead.
If you want the seed and a planting-and-use guide in one: the Medicinal Garden Kit.
Disclosure: the link above is an affiliate link. We may earn a commission if you buy through it, at no extra cost to you. Nothing here is medical advice.