7 Healing Plants You Can Grow Indoors
Jul 17, 2023
Gardening can be a wonderfully beneficial pastime. Not only can you cultivate fresh vegetables, stunning flowers and majestic trees, but you can also grow plants with extraordinary medicinal properties. Human beings have used medicines, tinctures, teas and salves derived from plants for thousands of years. In fact, plants are still commonly used in modern medicine. If you want to create an indoor garden of beneficial plants to help keep you and your family healthy, consider the following remarkable species.
Mint
Mint is easy to grow and packed with nutrients. Aside from being associated with improved digestive health and boosted brain function, freshly-brewed tea made from home-grown mint leaves can be an excellent way to start your morning. One thing to remember when growing mint is to avoid making the rookie error of planting it outdoors directly into the earth - mint is a fast-growing, fast-spreading species that will quickly choke out all your other plants. Consequently, growing mint indoors in a container is ideal.
Aloe Vera
If you’re prone to burning yourself while cooking, aloe vera is the perfect plant to keep on your kitchen windowsill. Aloe contains active compounds that help soothe pain, reduce inflammation and promote healing. Simply slit the leaf of an aloe plant lengthwise, scoop out the gel and apply it to the affected area. Aloe gel is also highly moisturising, making it ideal for skincare applications. You can also blend the gel and store it in the fridge for a soothing sunburn remedy.
Lemon Balm
Lemon balm is a member of the mint family and has been used for hundreds of years as a remedy for stress, anxiety, insomnia, indigestion, and much more. It is also commonly used to treat skin conditions such as acne and eczema due to its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. You can enjoy the benefits of this mild lemon-scented herb by brewing its freshly picked leaves into a tea. Alternatively, you could infuse dried lemon balm leaves into a carrier oil to create essential oil or beeswax to make a soothing salve.
Ginger
Ginger is a highly versatile spice found in a wide variety of food, drinks and natural health remedies. Ginger root can be chopped, pureed, powdered or preserved in syrup and has a broad range of health benefits, from improved immunity to nausea relief. Consuming ginger regularly in tea or as an ingredient in recipes is an excellent way to reap the benefits of this remarkable root. You could even juice fresh ginger with Manuka honey, lemon and cayenne pepper to create a potent health-boosting shot to help reduce inflammation, soothe digestive issues, and enhance immune function.
Ginseng
Ginseng is an antioxidant-rich herb that has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over 2,000 years and was once considered a cure for all ailments. Evidence suggests that ginseng may boost energy, increase blood circulation and lower cholesterol. If you want to grow ginseng at home, you may need a grow tent containing LED lamps and a grow tent heater to create optimal growing conditions. It is also worth noting that ginseng takes up to four years to reach maturity. However, considering the high price of wild ginseng roots, home cultivation would be a worthwhile endeavour.
Chamomile
Chamomile is an aromatic plant of the daisy family which has long been valued as a digestive relaxant; hence, its prevalence in herbal tea blends. There is also evidence to suggest that chamomile may help calm anxiety and induce sleep, making chamomile tea the perfect bedtime beverage to help you drift off peacefully. You can dry chamomile flowers in a food dehydrator or allow them to dry passively on a herb-drying rack. You could blend the dried flowers with dried lemon balm, mallow flowers, valerian or lavender for a soothing, unique herbal tea recipe.
St. John’s Wort
St. John’s Wort is a European native plant associated with mental health treatment, with the potential to alleviate the symptoms of depression and other mood disorders. Research suggests that St John’s Wort may work as well as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) when dried and taken orally in capsules. However, replacing your prescribed medication with herbal remedies is inadvisable unless advised otherwise by a medical professional. If nothing else, a pot of St. John’s Wort would make a visually appealing addition to your windowsill.