Medicinal Herb Plants A–D

My beloved Aloes begin this category, and to place them at the start seems entirely appropriate. Native to East and South Africa, these juicy succulents require little maintenance and often last beyond expectation, and have found their way onto windowsills worldwide. The diversity of the Aloe genus is astounding. We offer some of the most unique and desirable types. Given reasonable care, these will grow into show quality specimens, rivaling what can be seen at the most distinguished botanical gardens.

Arnica (Arnica montana or Arnica chamissonis) is a well-known botanical. When presented with a bruised foot or twisted elbow, it doesn’t take an experienced herbalist to exclaim “I hope you’ve put Arnica oil on that!” The plant can be difficult to start from seed, yet these potted plants spread jubilantly in the right conditions. When this happens, nobody complains.

Ashitaba (Angelica keiskei) is our flagship medicinal plant. Life extension, ameliorating disease and infection, no human ills seem beyond the grasp of this potent plant. Ongoing research validates the unique effectiveness of the chalcone. Strict horticultural technique, gleaned from decades of experience with the plant, brings sturdy seedlings of just the right size for transplant into the hands of good gardeners. We are entirely stoked.

Chinese chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium) (Bo-ju-hua) is a plant that brings great happiness to people, not only by means of its uplifting tea, but because in the garden, the plants maintain a healthy green color, grow vigorously, and produce colorful flowers in the autumn, when color from flowers may be a rare commodity. This is the main type used in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Comfrey (Symphytum officinalis or Symphytum x uplandicum) is considered on this farm to be the queen of all medicinal herbs. Not only are we enamored with the cell-proliferating activity of alantoin, but we also use the plant in veterinary medicine, as well as making a tea of the leaves to spray on our potted plants in the nursery. This is one of our secrets, which is now no longer a secret, regarding our ability to deliver plants that glow with health even after being jiggled through a dark postal system for three days in transit. Know and use comfrey. There is no better herb.