Medicinal Herbs for Body, Mind, and Spirit
by Deb Soule

Medicinal herbs offer a wide range of support for healing body, mind and spirit, preventing illness, and easing stress and tension. There are dozens of medicinal herbs that are easy to grow, harvest, and prepare in various ways. Many herbs nourish the body's vital life force, preventing illnesses through their regular use in teas and food.

Other herbs, commonly referred to as tonic herbs, contain constituents that strengthen and tone particular organs or systems in the body. There are also many herbs which, when used carefully and wisely, can help heal specific illnesses. If you are new to herbs or trying a particular herb for the first time, begin by using small amounts to see how your body responds. Take the time to observe how you feel and educate yourself about each herb's medicinal properties.

Growing medicinal herbs is one of my most favorite activities. I have grown organic herbs in Maine for 25 years and over the past 8 years have developed a 3/4 acre medicinal herb garden for the herbal apothecary Avena Botanicals. The garden serves as a classroom, a place for the public to enjoy, and a source of herbs. Some of the herbs included in this article are commonly found in herb gardens and some are not. Each of them is special to me because of their color and scent, the pollinators they attract, and the healing they offer.

Plants, when used in their whole form as food, teas, tinctures, poultices and oils respond differently in the body than when their compounds are chemically synthesized in a laboratory or made into a standardized herbal product. Herbs that are organically grown and respectfully harvested at the appropriate time of day and stage of a plant's life cycle, contain nutrients and constituents that assist in a the healing process. Many herbalists and gardeners also understand that plants embody a spirit, a life force, whose presence is essential for healing to occur.

Holy Basil, (Ocimum basilicum var. minimum) also known as Sacred Basil or Tulsi, is native to India and considered sacred to many Hindu people. I began growing this herb 12 years ago because I liked its name. Since that time information about Holy Basil's medicinal properties has become available in the United States. Holy basil is easy to start from seed in a greenhouse or windowsill and thrives in gardens or pots. A garden bed of several Holy Basil plants will emit a unique, pleasant fragrance on hot summer days and be filled with the humming of bees. Pinching the flowering tops regularly keeps the plant bushing out and available for fresh tea.

Several pots of Holy Basil sit on my porch so that in the morning I can harvest some for the water bottle I take to work. Many of the aromatic herbs such as Holy Basil, Lemon Balm, Bee Balm (Bergamot) and Dotted Mint, when placed in cool water, create a mild tasting yet refreshing tea to sip throughout a hot day. Holy basil can be harvested fresh and placed with water in a glass or stainless steel pot with a lid for making a warm infused tea with greater medicinal properties. Bring the water not quite to a boil and let the tea infuse for 15-30 minutes. Holy Basil leaves and flowers can also be dried on screens for winter teas or made into an alcohol tincture or non-alcohol glycerite.

Recent research confirms that Holy Basil has properties that improve the body's ablity to adapt to stress, stimulates the immune system, and improves resistance to stomach ulcers. Holy Basil is also known to possess anti-tumor effects in human skin and protects the DNA from injury from exposure to radiation from the sun and conventional radiation therapy. (Beyond Aspirin by Thomas M. Newmark and Paul Schulick, pp. 64-65) It is a beautiful herb to add to any sun-filled garden and full of extraordinary health benefits.

Lemon Balm (Melissa officianalis) is a commonly grown perennial that reseeds abundantly in most gardens, although in colder areas (less than zone 4), Lemon Balm may need to be grown as an annual. Lemon balm, also referred to a Melissa, is beloved by bees and humans alike. Its strongly aromatic oils impart a refreshing flavor and uplifting feeling to those who partake of its tea, tincture, or glycerite. Lemon Balm is valued for its ability to ease tension, stress, and feelings of being overwhelmed. It helps to lower a fever, relax stomach spasms, heal herpes sores, rejuvenate a person whose tired mind is unable to concentrate or assist people with Attention Deficit Disorder. I prefer to drink fresh Lemon Balm tea throughout the summer and to mix the freshly chopped leaves and flowers with pure vegetable glycerin for winter medicine. Most children and adults love the flavor of a Lemon Balm glycerin-based remedy.

With its beautiful purple flowers, Lavender Bergamot, (Monarda fistulosa) is another easy to establish perennial adored by bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. The gorgeous and fragrant blooms emit a citrus aroma on hot summer days. The flowers and leaves can be gathered and tinctured in alcohol or laid out on screens to dry for teas. Bergamot tea was used by various Native American Indian tribes as a remedy for colds and flues, an inhalant to ease sinus and lung congestion, and to aid indigestion. The dried flowers add vibrant color to a winter herbal tea mix.

One of my favorite mint family perennials to grow is the Dotted Mint, (Monarda punctata) also known as Horsemint. It is native to the eastern coastal plains of the United States, and as far west as Minnesota and south to northern Mexico. The flower of this plant is beautiful beyond words, attracting bees and photographers, the flowers make a delicious and strongly flavored mint tea that is helpful for reducing fevers and colds, calming the stomach and relieving diarrhea. The tea also makes a cooling rinse for washing the face during a fever. Dotted Mint is an aromatic and special addition to any summer or winter tea.

Growing to nearly 6 feet, Elecampane (Inula helenium) is an easy to grow perennial with a strong presence in the garden. Its golden sunflower-like flowers are stunning in late July and August and are lovely amongst other tall flowering herbs such as Yellow Mullein or Marshmallow. It reseeds easily and will grow in dry or damp soil, in full sun or partial shade. The root is dug in the fall after the plant is 2 or 3 years old. Elecampane is helpful for acute bronchitis and for chronic respiratory or sinus infections where there is heavy, yellow or green mucous. Its antiseptic qualities offer support for people with pneumonia or tuberculosis. The bitter flavor stimulates the appetite and bowels and can be useful to add into a formula when traveling to help prevent giardia and parasites.

By 6 am on a sunny morning, a bed of flowering Olympic Mullein (Verbascum olympicum) is alive with buzzing of bees. This mullein species is preferred by many herbalists over common yellow mullein (Verbascum thapsus) because of its prolific branching flower stalks which make for easy harvesting and greater yields. For 2-3 weeks in July we tie small baskets around our necks and gather the abundant flowers with both hands. These flowers are immediately placed into olive oil and infused at 100F for 2 weeks to make a soothing oil to treat earaches and help dissolve ear wax. Once the plant finishes flowering, as with any biennial, it scatters it seeds and comes to the end of its life. I also grow the yellow mullein as I prefer to dry the leaves of this mullein for soothing and moistening irritated mucous membranes of the throat and lungs, and opening up the airways so breathing is easier. The yellow mullein leaves of the first year plants are very soft and easy to dry for tea.

Another favorite respiratory herb is Marshmallow (Altheae officinalis). This tall and beautiful perennial grows well in partial shade or full sun and will grow in dry or moist soil. The greyish leaves are velvety soft and the delicate white mallow flowers are a favorite of hummingbirds. Marshmallow is easy to start from seed and also reseeds abundantly. The leaf can be gathered during the summer and dried for tea and the root can be dug in the fall and also dried for tea. Both soothe inflamed or irritated mucous membranes of the respiratory, digestive and urinary tract. The flowers are edible and can be placed in vegetable glycerin and used internally to soothe sore throats, coughs and bronchitis.

A medicinal herb garden would not be complete without growing at least one species of Echinacea. When in flower, it is one of the most magnificent perennials in the August garden. Each spring we transplant 1000 Echinacea purpurea seedlings into the garden as this is the easiest of the Echinacea species to start from seed. For the adventurous gardener, I would highly recommend starting some of the other Echinacea species from seed. E. pallida blooms earlier than E. purpurea and its narrow and pale pink petals are a special addition to any garden. E. paradoxa, with its yellow color, blooms at a similiar time as E. pallida, and makes for interesting conversation amongst gardeners. Tennessee coneflower is on the federal endangered plant list and well worth growing. Its unusual upturned petals surprises and delights most people. E. angustifolia is considered by some herbalists to be the most potent of all the Echinacea species, though all species were once used and highly regarded by various Native American tribes. All the Echinacea species stimulate and strengthen the immune system. Three year old roots can be tinctured fresh or dried for tea. Fresh leaves and flowers can be tinctured during the summer and mixed with the root tincture for helping resolve colds, flus, ear infections and boils, and for improving lymphatic circulation. Herbalist Matthew Wood, author of The Book of Herbal Wisdom, considers Echinacea to be the "farmer remedy", effective for people like farmers, who have to work physically hard during particular seasons without much of a break. A favorite flower of bees and the monarch butterflies, Echinacea is truly worth growing for both its beauty and valuable medicine.

Whether or not you ever plan to harvest, dry or tincture medicinal herbs, growing a few, or many, of these potent plants will attract honey bees and a variety of other pollinators to your garden and fill it with joy and pleasure.

For more planting and harvesting information, check out Guidelines for Growing Medicinal Herbs.

A Woman's Book of Herbs, The Healing Power of Natural Remedies by Deb Soule, Illustrations by Susan Szwed, Paperback, 306 pages.

Learn more about healing powers of plants in Deb Soule's compelling and informative work which explores the cultivation and usage of dozens of potent medicinal plants. Soule combines 20 years of experience in organically growing, gathering, preparing and using herbs with her exceptional teaching skills and profound affirmations. The result is an enduring work of depth and vision that is useful for beginner and experienced herbalists and health care providers as well as beginner and experienced gardeners.

A Woman's Book of Herbs sings with the wholeness of her calling, and reflects the artistry and joy of her extraordinary herb gardens. Whether you seek simple, clear directions for making tinctures, decoctions, flower essences, salves and other remedies, the historical perspective to appreciate the healing tradition of women herbalists, or the inspiration to help find your own healing path, Deb Soule guides the way in this fascinating book.

Deb Soule is an herbalist, author and teacher. She is the founder of Avena Botanicals, an herbal apothecary in Rockland, Maine.