Updated
With a little know-how, you can have a pharmacopeia growing just outside your door. Here are some easy natural remedies that may already be growing in your yard.
It’s been amazing as I’ve dug more deeply into natural medicine and wild plants to discover how many things are growing in my yard that have incredibly useful properties. Some I’ve planted, but many are “weeds,” plants most people don’t realize are useful that turn out to be potent natural remedies for all kinds of ailments.
Check out these unassuming plants/ natural remedies that may be growing in YOUR yard right now!
1. Natural Remedies in Your Yard: Lemon Balm
Trouble sleeping? Try lemon balm tea. I stumbled across a mention of this soothing brew at the beginning of the season, and am now encouraging new lemon balm volunteers all over my yard to keep me in tea. Lemon balm is thought to promote sleep by alleviating anxiety and encouraging relaxation.
(It’s also an antiviral and may help headaches and other ailments. And rubbed on your skin, it’s supposed to help keep insects at bay, though I haven’t had much luck with this). Lots more on how to use lemon balm in this post.
To make sleep-promoting tea, I collect a small bowl of fresh leaves and steep them in a large teapot of boiling filtered water. (Read why you want to filter your water here.) This makes enough for two large mugs (or two nights’ worth of tea). I drink a mug a couple hours before bed, and it seems to help me sleep more soundly.
The farm I belong to grows it, too, so I’ve been harvesting some there as well and drying it for winter. Lemon balm is a less aggressive member of the mint family, so it will spread some, but it is far easier to eradicate if you want to (though I don’t know why you would). It’s a perennial, so plant some now and enjoy it for years. You can probably find someone near you willing to give you a little starter clump.
Related: How to Get Free Plants
2. Natural Remedies in Your Yard: Mint
Mint is a well-known tea ingredient for soothing upset stomachs. In addition to common mint, there are some beautiful and unusual varieties to try, including apple mint, ginger mint, and pineapple mint (though I have found them less reliably hardy in our extreme winters than the standard peppermint and common mint, also less aggressive spreaders).
Again, it shouldn’t be hard to find someone growing mint who would be happy to give you starter plants. But be careful — mint will try to take over, so plant somewhere you don’t mind it outcompeting everything else or plant it in a buried container.
3. Natural Remedies in Your Yard: Lavender
Lavender is a gorgeous landscape plant with flowers that can be used in tea, cooking, or as fragrant additions to a relaxing bath or sachet. The scent has been shown to improve sleep quality, so keep a little bouquet or dish of dried lavender by your bedside, and you may find you sleep better.
A number of common weeds also have medicinal uses. What a great excuse not to spend your free time weeding (like you needed one)!
4. Jewelweed
Jewelweed can help with insect bites, so we let ours run rampant along the side of the house and grab some when kids get those sad red welts in mosquito and gnat season. Just squeeze some liquid from the succulent stem and apply to the bite repeatedly for about 15 minutes. Can also help with poison ivy and other skin irritations. (More info here.)
5. Plantain
Plantain can also be made into a poultice to help with insect bites and skin irritations. It’s also edible, but not that delicious (lots more here).
Related: Spruce Tea ~ A Delicious Way to Fight Colds
6. Yarrow
Yarrow can be used topically or made into tea that may help with digestive issues and cramps. (Note that its ability to relax muscles may be a problem in pregnancy, so skip it if you are pregnant. Also avoid it if you have ragweed allergies.)
Yarrow’s native in much of the country and is a drought-tolerant hardy perennial that supports pollinators. You might find volunteers in your yard, or if not, you probably have a neighbor who will be happy to divide some for you. Here’s more on the benefits and uses of yarrow.
7. Red Clover
Clover flowers can be made into a tea thought to help with circulation as well as respiratory and skin problems. It is also a source of isoflavones, and research suggests it may help with menopause symptoms. Clover is also a wonderful nitrogen-fixer for your soil, so encourage it wherever you find it and skip the fertilizer.
If you really want to dive into making natural remedies from wild plants, invest in a good field guide.
Pin to save these homegrown natural remedies for later!
References
University of Maryland Medical Center (though sadly they’ve taken down their alternative medicine database since this post published)
Photo credits: Andrea_44, Dana, Benet, NY State IPM program, Mike, via Flickr
Hi, I'm Susannah, a garden geek, energy nerd, and fan of healthy food and natural remedies. Need some simple, practical solutions for living healthier and greener? You've come to the right place! More about me and my green projects
I’m always experimenting in the garden but can’t seem to keep the weeds at bay. Apparently one of them is the jewelweed….OK for the grass but stay away from my veggies! LOL
This is such a great post! I love trying herbal remedies for different ailments. I appreciate the info. Pinned.
Wow!! I didn’t know all of that!! Great tips…going to look into the Lemon Balm to help me turn off my brain at night! 🙂 Thanks for sharing on My 2 Favorite Things on Thursday! Hope to see you again tomorrow!! Pinned!
Thanks for stopping by, Elaine. If you have sleep issues, you may want to check out my post on what to eat for better sleep, which includes some tips on herbals and oils as well. Here’s link: https://www.healthygreensavvy.com/what-to-eat-for-better-sleep/
Sweet dreams!
Thanks for the post. I love that it’s so comprehensive and that I can find all these around my own place. I’ve included it in my link love post for this month.
Lovely list.
I grew up with natural remedies my grandma prepared for me and I still avoid OTCs.
Thank you for sharing this list.
Cool! What kind of remedies did she make?
Hi Susannah,
You always have such great and informative article and I always love reading them. These natural remedies are so important to living green and actually most of the time much more effective than store bought. I appreciate you sharing your valuable post on Real Food Fridays. Pinned & tweeted!.
So glad I read this! I’ve been having a lot of trouble sleeping this week and our lemon balm plant seems to be doing well enough to pick some leaves off for a cup o’ tea tonight. 😉 I always wondered what that jewelweed stuff was called. Plantain is my absolute favorite! I made a big batch of salve from some a few years ago and we are still using it. It works better than any store bought antibacterial cream for cuts, burns, etc. Seriously!
Hi Susannah, Thank you for linking up over at Healthy Living Link Party! You are our MOST CLICKED featured post. Hope to see you again and Pinned!
Thanks, Cristina — that’s great news! Much appreciated, and thanks for hosting a terrific party!
This is a great post, Susannah! I’m pinning this to share and keep for later. Thanks.
Thanks so much, Barbara! Delighted you enjoyed it.
Great post. I grow a ton of mint which are all out of control especially the apple mint. Even lemon balm shows up where it shouldn’t but not as aggressive. I wish it retained its smell longer after it dries.