Backyard Herbs Part 2: Easily Grown Herbs

We are back with Part 2 of Backyard Herbs!

This time we are going to cover 3 very easily grown herbs that you can incorporate into your yard space. They are Calendula (Calendula Officinalis), Chamomile (Matricaria Recutita L.) and Yarrow (Achillea Millefolium). These three herbs cover such a wide range of healing in the body including: Lymphatic System, Immune System, Digestive System (including liver/gallbladder), Integumentary System (Skin), Reproductive System, Nervous System, Upper Respiratory System, Cardiovascular System and the Urogenital System. It is all in how you use and formulate them that directs the herbs to the system that needs help.

My growing zone is 3a for reference and 2 of the herbs we will talk about (Calendula and Chamomile) are considered annual but do tend to readily self-seed and continue to grow each season. Calendula and Chamomile could easily be grown in containers if your space is very limited, but in this case self-seeding would be less likely to happen and replanting every year would be the best scenario . The last herb (Yarrow) is considered a perennial and will come back every season very easily. Some say that yarrow can become a nuisance, but I have not had that issue. I have marked distinguished borders and if the rhizomes grow beyond it, I remove them fairly easily and I also harvest most of the flowers so they are not able to go to seed.

Let’s get to it!

Calendula - Calendula Officinalis

Parts Used: Entire flowering head, not just the petals as the greenery underneath is distinctly medicinal and adds to the medicinal actions.

Taste: Bitter, Salty, Sweet and Pungent

Harvest Time: Calendula is prolific, as long as you keep harvesting, they will keep producing more buds. So you can harvest the entire flowering head through spring into fall. At the end of the season, let them go to seed and re-seed themselves or harvest the seed for planting next spring.

Energetics: Calendula is warming to the body helping to increase the digestive fire, thin and disperse any stagnation in the body whether that stagnation be in the digestive system or the lymphatic system. The herb, although dainty and widely used topically as a wound healer, actually works on a very deep level within the body. The moisture is considered mixed depending on where the herb is directed. Through the bitter action is has on the liver/gallbladder and digestive system, it is considered drying as it is moving material down and out of the body, but it also has a soothing effect on the mucosal membranes.

Actions: Lymphagogue, Alterative, Vulnerary, Astringent, Bitter Tonic, Inflammation Modulator, Emmenagogue, Immune Tonic, Demulcent

Organ Affinities: Lymphatic System, Immune System, Liver/Gallbladder, Integumentary System, Female Reproductive System (specifically the uterus) and the Digestive System (specifically the mucosal membranes).

“Calendula possesses at least seven main properties: (1) it is applied externally to wounds as an antiseptic, bacteriostatic and hemostatic, (2) used internally is it therapeutic for swollen glands and lingering, unresolved infections, cleansing the lymphatic glands and ducts, (3) it lowers high enzyme counts from damaged liver, (4) it soothes the digestive mucosa, and other mucous membranes, (5) it warms the stomach, drives heat to the periphery, thins fluids, and causes sweating in fever, (6) it promotes the period, and (7) it is a traditional European peasant tonic taken to prevent sickness in winter - what we could call today an “immune tonic”.” (Matthew Wood)

Medicinal Preparations: Tea infusion, Tincture (due to high water content this is one herb you will want to tincture once dry, to avoid mold spoiling your medicine), Infused Oils, Salves, Powder, Flower Essence, Succus (pressed juice of fresh flowers and often used topically), Cold water based infusion (used as a spray for inflamed or burned skin), Poultice (blisters and warts)

Contraindications: Generally regarded safe as food and medicine. Should not be used internally during pregnancy due to it’s emmenagogue effect. Topical use in pregnancy is acceptable.

Herb-Drug Interactions: No known interactions known at this time.

Magical Uses: Protection, Prophetic Dreams, Psychic Powers, Legal Matters, Happiness, Love, Opening the Door Between Realms

Chamomile - Matricaria Recutita L.

Parts Used: Flowers and Leaves

Taste: Bitter, Sweet and Aromatic

Harvest Time: As soon as they start blooming in spring and throughout summer, they will continue to bloom all summer. They will readily self-seed, so fall cleanup is necessary if you do not want it to re-seed itself.

Energetics: Chamomile is considered cooling because of the aromatic oils and bitters action. In terms of moisture, Chamomile is drying to the body systems. Lastly in terms of tone, this herb is considered a relaxant, as you would notice the sedative effects on the body after a strong cup of tea in preparation for bed.

Actions: Nervine Sedative, Bitter Carminative, Spasmolytic, Relaxant Diaphoretic, Emmenagogue, Inflammation Modulator, Antimicrobial, Vulnerary

Organ Affinities: Immune System (helps to improve our immune function and our ability to overcome a fever), Nervous System (calming to the nerves allowing our parasympathetic nervous system to take over), Upper Respiratory System (decreases inflammation and cleanses due to microbial action), Female Reproductive System (stimulates menstruation while relaxing the smooth muscles to relieve cramping) and Digestive System (increases digestive function through increased gastric secretions).

Medicinal Preparations: Tea infusions, Tincture, Flower Essence, Infused Oil, Essential Oil, Bath Soak, Powder, Salve, Eye Wash/Compress (pink eye/conjunctivitis). Topical applications are often used for arthritis, rheumatic pain, eczema/psoriasis, oral cavity diseases, fungal infections, gout, hemorrhoids and ulcers.

“…Chamomile is likely the most common children’s herb, used for cradle cap, diaper rashes, cuts and scrapes, or even a mother’s cracked nipples from breastfeeding. There’s not a whole ton of remedies out there that are completely safe with the little ones, so this is a must have in your home apothecary if you’re pregnant or have kids - especially to calm overtired and fretful children…It can be used for infant colic babies or when a child has a fever, irritability, redness, sensations of heat, and a rapid pulse. This is also one of the most specific remedies for teething, simply soaking a cloth and applying it to the area is incredibly effective.” (Sajah Popham)

Contraindications: Caution to those who have allergies to the asteracea family, but is otherwise regarded as safe.

Herb-Drug Interactions: Caution should be taken when taking any CNS depressants including alcohol, anti-epileptics, anesthetics, opiates, benzodiazepines tricyclic antidepressants. Chamomile should also be avoided when once is taking coagulation therapies like Warfarin. The effect of Chamomile on coagulation has not been thoroughly studied at this point, so this is stated to ere on the side of caution.

Magical Uses: Money, Sleep, Love, Purification, Peace, Abundance, Self-Love, Healing

Yarrow - Achillea Millefolium

Parts Used: Whole Plant (leaves are more bitter, where flowers are more medicinal)

Taste: Pungent, Bitter, Aromatic and Astringent

Harvest Time: As soon as they are in flower and can be harvesting all through summer.

Energetics: This herb is cooling, drying and tonic to the body system.

Actions: Inflammation Modulator, Spasmolytic, Vulnerary, Bitter Tonic, Astringent, Circulatory Stimulant, Stimulant and Relaxant Diaphoretic (depending on the body’s needs), Emmenagogue, Diuretic, Alterative, Antiseptic, Hypotensive, Styptic, Anodyne.

“Through its action on the blood and vasculature, yarrow is suited to (1) lacerations, bruises, active hemorrhaging, and old, hardened bruises, (2) fevers, or fevers and chills, (3) heat and congestion in the digestive tract, portal vein, liver, and abdominal viscera, and (4) uterine congestion with excessive (or lack of) bleeding. Yarrow can be useful in almost any kind of acute inflammation with congestion of blood. It is specific for hemorrhages with bright, red bleeding …” (Matthew Wood)

Organ Affinities: Master of the Blood (increases circulation and can stop bleeding at the same time), Cardiovascular System, Digestive System (specifically hepatic portal congestion), Urogenital System (ability to move menses in the direction bringing balance), Immune System, Mucous Membranes

Medicinal Preparations: Infused Oils, Powder, Poultice (especially with a heavy bleeding wound, bruise/mash/chew fresh leaves and pack into the wound), Tea Infusion, Hydrosol, Essential Oil, Tincture, Wash, Baths (fever reduction, wound healing) and Salves/Creams.

Contraindications: Not recommended during pregnancy due to its emmenagogue effect. Caution should be taken with those who are allergic to the Asteraceae family. Long-term usage, in larger doses may cause photosensitivity.

Herb-Drug Interactions: Due to its effect on gut stimulation it may cause a decrease in drug absorption.

Magical Uses: Psychic Powers, Clarity, Courage, Love, Protection, Healing, Surrender

I know all of this can feel overwhelming when it is just sitting in front of you like this. Sometimes I still get overwhelmed looking at herb information. But I promise you, just start growing your own herbs, start there. Grow that relationship with your plants over the growing season, harvest some and keep it simple by just making some tea. Taste your herbs and take note how they feel in your body. Your journey into plant medicine does not need to be huge, pick one herb and that is enough.

You will find the herbs that I have spoken about in the last two posts in many of the products in my store. All my products are hand-made by me in small batches with loving and healing intentions. All herbs used are grown in my gardens without any chemical (or bought certified organic if I was unable to harvest enough).

If you have any questions, leave a comment! I will do my best to answer. If you want information on another herb that I have not touched on, please let me know.

Have an amazing day!

Ashley

Sources:

Cunningham, S. (2018). Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs. Llewellyn Publications.

Diaz, J. (2020). Plant Witchery. Hay House Inc.

Gray, B. (2011). The Boreal Herbal Wild Food and Medicine Plants of the North. Aroma Borealis Press.

Popham, S. Calendula (Calendula Officinalis) Materia Medica Volume #1.

Popham, S. Chamomile (Martricaria Recutita L.) Materia Medica Volume #24.

Popham, S. Yarrow (Achillea Millefolium) Materia Medica Volume #23.

Pursell, J. (2015). The Herbal Apothecary. Timber Press Inc.

Tilgner, Dr. S. (2009). Herbal Medicine From the Heart of the Earth. Wise Acres LLC.

Wood, M. (2008). The Earthwise Herbal Volume 1. North Atlantic Books.

Wood, M. (2009). The Earthwise Herbal Volume 2. North Atlantic Books.

Young, D. (2019). The Backyard Herbal Apothecary. Page Street Publishing Co.