Tea Time: 8 Beginner-Friendly Medicinal Plants to Grow In Your Garden

Truthfully, I drink no less than five cups of tea a day. I rotate between different blends, depending on the season and my health needs. So when I learned that my favorite organic tea company, Traditional Medicinals, was just a short 20-minute drive from my house, I knew I needed to visit their demonstration garden to learn how to grow herbs for making my own teas. I have no intention to stop buying tea; I simply want to be more experimental and self-sufficient—and have a little farm-to-cup experience of my own.

I asked Abbey Ramirez, head gardener at Traditional Medicinals (which, by the way, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year), about the best herbs to grow in the home garden. Her response:”I picked eight herbs with feasibility, seasonality, safety, and frequency of use in mind. These herbs are all beginner-friendly to grow, generally safe to use, can be cultivated in containers or in the ground, and are relatively easy to dry and store for later use.” Sounds perfect to me. Please keep reading to learn more.

NOTE: Although these herbs are generally known to be safe, always doublecheck the safety of consuming any plants if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or have any medical conditions.

Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

“Calendula is tougher than it looks!” says Abbey. “It grows in a variety of soils but will fare best in soil with good drainage and does better with a weekly deep watering rather than frequent light water.” It prefers full sun but tolerates part sun, requiring at least five hours a day. And even though this plant grows in zones 3-11, it is considered an annual in zones 3-8 and behaves as a semi-evergreen perennial in zones 9-11. If you’re lucky, your calendula could bloom year-round. Bonus: Bees adore it.

Good for: digestive issues such as heartburn and peptic ulcers
Plant part used: flowers
Tea: fresh or dry
How: 1-2 tbsp or 2-4 flowers in 1 cup of hot water for 10-15 minutes
Food: fresh (petals only) or dry
How: Use in salads, soups, cooked greens, baked goods, or as a garnish (best uncooked for nutritional value).

Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis)

“Marshmallow has a soothing and lofty presence in the garden,” says Abbey. It needs moisture-retaining soil but also good drainage to avoid root rot. “If planted in full sun, this plant needs more water, but if it is in partial shade, one could get away with less water (this depends on your soil’s drainage and water retention).” Marshmallow grows as a deciduous woody perennial in zones 3-9, and Abbey recommends pruning back two-thirds every winter after it reaches maturity.

Good for: throat, respiratory, and digestive troubles
Plant part used: roots, leaves, and flowers
Tea: fresh or dry (roots only)
How: 1-2 tbsp ground or chopped in 1 cup of hot water for 10-15 minutes (or same ratio in room temperature water overnight)
Food: fresh or dry
How: Use flowers in salads, baked goods, or garnish; use leaves in soups or sautéed with other greens.

Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)

Says Abbey: “Chamomile is a joyful and bee-friendly addition to a medicinal garden.” Though it craves full sun, this plant needs well-draining soil with decent water retention and consistent light drinks of water. Chamomile grows in zones 4-11 and can continuously bloom from April to August. Abbey adds, “This plant is strictly an annual, but I have found it is a prolific re-seeder and will likely propagate itself year to year if left alone to drop its seeds and complete its full lifecycle.”

Good for: sleep, relaxation, and digestion
Plant part used: flowers
Tea: fresh (stronger, more bitter) or dry (traditional, lighter, and more floral)
How: 1-2 tbsp or 6-12 flowers in 1 cup of hot water for 10-15 minutes
Food: Fresh or dry
How: Use fresh as garnish only, as the flowers are quite bitter; ground dry flowers into powder for baked goods.

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

“This classic semi-evergreen woody perennial is a must-have in any garden in my book,” urges Abbey. To make lavender happy, give it full sun, good drainage, and an occasional dose of organic fertilizer with equal parts N-P-K to extend and retain its blooms. Consistent light watering is suggested, but this plant also benefits from extra water on hot days. Lavender grows in zones 5-9 and blooms (and attracts a bevy of bees) May to September if well tended.

Good for: stress and digestive issues
Plant part used: flowers and leaves
Tea: fresh (stronger, more bitter) or dry (traditional, lighter, and more floral)
How: 1-2 tbsp in 1 cup of hot water for 10-15 minutes
Food: fresh or dry
How: Use fresh as garnish only, as the flowers are quite bitter; use dry flowers or ground dry plant matter into powder for baked goods.

Raspberry (Rubus idaeus)

“Raspberries have a big occupancy in a garden, so be prepared for this 2′ x 5′ ft beauty,” shares Abbey. It requires full sun, well-draining soil, and an occasional dose of organic fertilizer with equal parts N-P-K. Water this plant deeply and infrequently, every 7-10 days depending on the heat. “As this deciduous woody perennial reaches maturity, it will need trellising to give its leaves breathing room, as well as a yearly winter prune. I prune its second-year growth almost to the ground.”

Good for: menstrual and pre- and post-natal issues (it’s full of antioxidants)
Plant part used: leaf and fruit
Tea: fresh or dry (leaf only)
How: 1-3 tbsp dry and ground in 1 cup of hot water for 10-15 minutes, or 1-3 tbsp fresh, gently broken up in 1 cup of hot water for 10-15 minutes
Food: fresh or dry (fruit only)
How: All kinds of ways to eat raspberries, but I think the best is right off the branch!

Dandelion (Taraxacum)

I know what you’re thinking—intentionally plant a weed? Abbey says yes: “I personally invite all readers to re-frame their concept of dandelion from ugly weed to lovely, bee-friendly, wish-making medicinal ally.” Although quite versatile in different growing environments, dandelion enjoys lightly moist and rich soil, full sun, and frequent light watering. Dandelion grows in zones 3-11 and is an annual. “Seed germination is possible,” adds Abbey, “though I would recommend transplanting an established plant to the garden when it’s not flowering.”

Good for: detoxing and digestion
Plant part used: roots, leaves, and flowers
Tea: fresh (stronger, more bitter) or dry (traditional, lighter) roots and flowers
How: 1-2 tbsp of ground or chopped root and/or whole flowers in 1 cup hot water for 10-15 minutes
Food: fresh or dry
How: Use flowers in salads and as a garnish; use leaves in salads, soups, or sautées. (Need recipes? Go here and here.)

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

“This sweet-scented evergreen perennial is gentle yet effective and is bound to bring bees to the garden,” says Abbey. Though adaptable to many growing conditions, lemon balm prefers full sun, well-draining soil, and frequent light watering. It grows in zones 4-9 but does not do well in consistent humidity. Abbey adds, “I have found that it also appreciates an annual prune either in winter or one month before spring, so long as it is still dormant.”

Good for: stress and digestion
Plant part used: leaves
Tea: fresh (stronger, more bitter) or dry (traditional, lighter)
How: 1-3 tbsp in 1 cup of hot water for 10-15 minutes
Food: fresh or dry
How: Use fresh as a garnish or in very small amounts in soup or salad; ground dry into powder for baked goods.

Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea)

“This plant is striking in both aesthetic and medicinal value, and loved by bees,” says Abbey. Growing in zones 3-9, echinacea thrives in full sun, well-drained soil, and with deep and infrequent watering about 1-2 times a week depending on the heat. Abbey adds: “This deciduous perennial can take 2- 4 years to mature, but is worth the wait as it can continue to come back for potentially up to 12 years! According to our Senior Scientist, Marisa Williams, echinacea can be anywhere from 20-40 years old in their native wild habitat.”

Good for: throat health and boosting immunity
Plant part used: petals and root
Tea: fresh or dry
How: 1-2 tbsp ground or chopped in 1 cup of hot water for 10-15 minutes
Food: fresh or dry
How: Flower petals can be used in salads, soups, or as a garnish.

See also:

• Tea Time in the Coronavirus Age: What Immune-Boosting Teas Should You Be Drinking?
• Tisanes: Easy Teas You Can Grow, with 7 Tips from Emily Erb of Leaves & Flowers
• 10 Chinese Herbs to Cure What Ails You