9 Healing Plants You Can Grow in Your Garden or Home ...

Aloe vera is well known reputation as the most powerful of all healing plants. Aloe vera is an incredibly alkaline plant that can help everything from inflammation to IBS. The inner gel of the leaves can be used internally or externally. Aloe vera is also easy to care for since it is a member of the cactus family. You’ll want to keep it in partial sunlight, and indoors. You also only need to water aloe once every month since it does not like a lot of water.

Peppermint is my personal favorite healing plant. Peppermint is incredibly easy to grow, and makes your kitchen smell so dreamy! You can also use spearmint or plain mint if you don’t specifically see peppermint in stores. Most stores sell this plant as a starter plant instead of seeds which is a bonus. Peppermint is great for IBS, along with headaches, stress, poor appetite, and indigestion. Use the leaves in cooking, in smoothies, or steep them into a tea.

Oregano is by far one of the easiest herbs to grow, and one of the most powerful. Oregano contains more antioxidants than most vegetables or fruits. It is good for poor appetite, poor digestion, your immune system, and it’s an anti-viral. It can also help fight acne and wrinkles! Use oregano in meat sauces, vegan spaghetti sauce, salads, or wherever else you would use dried forms of oregano. My favorite thing about this plant is once it starts to bloom, it smells amazing. You’ll want to cook more often just because of the scent of this wonderful plant. It can also help keep pests away from other plants, and is completely safe to grow outdoors. I like to plant it in a huge pot with basil since both are common Italian spices. Oregano grows very easily, and isn’t fussy to mess with. Water about once a week whenever the soil is dry. It can take full sun without a problem.

Thyme is another common herb that has powerful anti-viral properties. Thyme can help ward off illness like the flu or a cold, and helps protect good bacteria in the digestive tract. It’s also a natural remedy for coughs or a stomachache. You can cook with thyme leaves, or steep into a tea. Thyme can be planted and cared for just like oregano or mint. If the leaves start to become dry and break off, you may need to water it a little more, or move it to an area with less full sun in the summer.

Lavender is one of the most popular herbs well known for its relaxing properties. Lavender’s scent is also an aphrodisiac. It can help cure everything from insomnia to a low libido, and is also used by many for general nervousness. Once the plants start to bloom, use this lovely purple flower dried as a natural potpourri, or even put it into sachets and keep it in your pillow. You can also cook with lavender as many people use it in homemade muffins, chocolates, pies, and even smoothies!

This common weed is now classed as a superfood - who knew? Dandelion is actually a weed most of us probably thought was just a pretty yellow flower as a kid, yet it’s so much more. Dandelion is one the most common detoxifying greens known in the health world today. It’s also a good source of antioxidants. It can treat bacterial infections, slow digestion, and it helps relieve inflammation. You can use the dried flowers in a tea. You can also use the leaves in smoothies, salads, but I wouldn’t advise eating the buds. They aren’t too tasty! Just be sure if you grow this healing plant or pick some from your back yard that isn’t coated in pesticides and fertilizers!

This sweet smelling plant is also incredibly healing for your immune system. My favorite thing about growing basil is how easy it is. I always have an abundance of basil by the end of August each year, more so than any other plant. You can buy starter plants at your local grocery store, and also find them at any gardening store. Leave them in their initial pot and then transfer to a larger pot once they start to grow more. Basil is great for preventing inflammation, strengthening digestion, and is good for acne.

This is one of my top favorite cooking herbs of all! Who doesn’t love a little fresh cilantro with salsa or guac, right? Cilantro is also very inexpensive and can be bought in a starter pot at your local grocery store or gardening store just like basil. Cilantro is a powerful detoxifying herb, and can help strengthen digestion. It is also a natural anti-inflammatory agent, high in Vitamin C, chlorophyll, and magnesium. It really gives a unique twist to a smoothie, believe it or not, too!

You can’t grow cilantro without parsley, in my opinion. The two go together like PB&J! These two herbs are more powerful in nutrient content than almost all veggies in terms of their cleansing properties. They are also higher in chlorophyll than kale or spinach. Parsley gives a beautiful garnish to any dish, freshens your breath, and is higher in Vitamin C than most vegetables, making it great for your skin and immune health. It can be grown exactly like cilantro and does well out in the sun or inside on a window ledge.

These amazing healing plants are some of my favorites, but I’d love to know if you have any too! Do you grow your own healing plants or use these for any health remedies?