Top 50 Medicinal Plants Medicinal plants to create an Apothecary-style garden to help our pollinators List Curated by Thomas McBride From research data collected and collated at the National Botanic Garden of Wales NB: Butterflies and Moths are not studied at the NBGW so any data on nectar plants beneficial for them is taken from Butterfly Conservation Introduction At the National Botanic Garden of Wales, we feel it is important to recognise the rich history of botany and plant science we have in Wales and around the UK. One such way to display this is through a living museum of plants once used, and some still used, to treat various ailments and maintain good health. These medicinal plants can be grown together to create a physic garden or apothecaries garden; such as the one we have here. Apothecaries were herbal medicine specialists before the event of modern medicine. The apothecaries garden is split into sections depending on the usage of the plants. If you would also like to create one, you can use this model to help you. Almost all the selected plants are found in our Apothecaries Garden and many are also culinary herbs or ornamentals found elsewhere in the garden. Most of the plants used are native to or naturalised in Western Europe. Garden The Apothecaries The Apothecaries Garden Muscular-Skeletal Digestive Ear, Nose & Throat Nervous Glandular Circulatory Urinary Welsh Natives Cutaneous (Skin) (Used by local Apothecaries) The Circulatory System The Respiratory System The Circulatory system comprises The Respiratory system comprises the Lungs, the Heart, blood and blood vessels; Trachea (Windpipe) and connects directly to arteries, veins and capillaries. Plants the nose, mouth and also circulatory system. Plants used to treat respiratory used to treat this bodily system were problems were usually taken primarily for heart conditions or as a vapour over boiling water associated with blood letting. Few and breathed in; in order for are used in modern medicine but their oils to travel directly into the active ingredient in foxglove, the windpipe. Herbs to treat ear, nose and throat conditions Digitalin, is still used in heart Achillea millefolium Primula vulgaris were classed separately. medicine today Digitalis purpurea Pulsatilla vulgaris for its potent Laurus nobilis Salvia sclarea Lavandula angustifolia affects. Thymus vulgaris Melissa officinalis Verbascum nigrum Valeriana officinalis Viola tricolor Respiratory Plants Respiratory Plants included: Circulatory Plants Circulatory Plants included: The Nervous System The Cutaneous System The nervous system comprises of the brain, The cutaneous system is made up of epidermis spinal cord and nerves (neurons). Plants used (visible skin) and dermis (the skin underlayer). to treat nervous conditions were usually Plant-based treatments used on skin were associated with pain relief and the calming of extremely varied from soothing burns, acne & nerves. They were often taken orally, mixed with rashes to attempting to treat leprosy and some sort of alcohol. Many are still used today measles. Today, plant-based skin treatments are to aid in calmness such as camomile and lavender. as popular as ever but are much more commonly Others are much more potent such as opium used for anti-ageing and maintaining clear, poppy; the plant by which morphine supple skin and treating acne or scars. and other opioids are derived from. Chamaemelum nobile These are powerful nervous-blockers Bistorta officinalis Hyssopus officinalis Borago officinalis used in pain relief. Lavandula angustifolia Calendula officinalis Origanum vulgare Chamaemelum nobile Melissa officinalis Papaver somniferum Hamamelis mollis Pulsatilla vulgaris Tanacetum parthenium Hypericum perforatum Stachys palustris Nervous Plants Plants Nervous included: Valeriana officinalis Cutaneous Plants included: Malva sylvestris Tanacetum vulgare The Urinary System The Digestive System The Urinary system is made up of the Kidneys, The Digestive system comprises of the oesophagus, Ureters, Bladder and Urethra; which terminates in stomach, liver, gall bladder, small and large or by the sexual organs in the groin region. intestine and pancreas. It is responsible for the Medicinal plants were regularly used as diuretics digestion of food. Many edible plants were used to increase urine and decrease its concentration to treat digestive issues as they could easily be added which is still an effective way to treat infections when to meals and herbal teas such as mint, lemon balm or coupled with drinking plenty of water. Herbs for the fennel. A common digestive-aid used today is ginger urinary system were also used to treat bladder pain, but this is not easily grown in the UK. Many are still incontinence and even wounds sustained through taken as dietary supplements for their natural ability childbirth and other problems relating Achillea millefolium to calm bowel spasms or laxative effects. Althaea officinalis to the reproductive system. Althaea officinalis Artemisia absinthium Hyssopus officinalis Oenothera biennis A popular example Echinacea purpurea of a diuretic herb is Eupatorium cannabinum Chaenomeles speciosa Inula helenium Origanum vulgare the dandelion. Due Origanum vulgare Eupatorium cannabinum Malva sylvestris Rosmarinus officinalis to their weed-status Filipendula ulmaria Rosa gallica Melissa officinalis Sambucus nigra and ability to spread Foeniculum vulgare quickly however, Sanguisorba officinalis Mentha spicata Tagetes patula they haven’t been Urinary Plants included: Digestive Digestive Plants included: Hamamelis mollis Mentha suaveolens Tanacetum vulgare included in the list. Thymus vulgaris The Muscular-Skeletal System The Otorhinolaryngic System The muscular system, made up of muscles, A complicated collective way to refer to ears, nose tendons, joints and ligaments, allows for and throat, this system was probably the most widely movement, and is directly connected to the treated with medicinal plants through history. skeletal system, which is our bones. Plants Relieving flu and cold symptoms has always been in this category were used to relieve back Some of the plants used for reliving important. pain and other muscular problems, were symptoms have mucolytic properties such used to aid in calcium uptake for keeping as mint, rosemary and also pineapple; bones strong and may also have be used to which we cannot grow outside in the UK quicken recovery after physical trauma such unfortunately! Others have anti-inflammatory properties which as broken bones or pulled ligaments. Muscular-Skeletal Plants included: naturally relieve irritation. Some even have antibacterial Alchemilla mollis Lavandula angustifolia Althaea officinalis properties which can help Artemisia absinthium Origanum vulgare Chamaemelum nobile with bacterial infections. Calendula officinalis Rosmarinus officinalis Plants included: Echinaceae purpurea Others help relieve swollen Eupatorium cannabinum* Sambucus nigra Hyssopus officinalis glands such as: Filipendula ulmaria Valeriana officinalis Inula helenium Artemisia absinthium *Eupatorium may be sometimes known as ‘Boneset’ Viburnum opulus Otorhinolaryngic Rosmarinus officinalis & Borago officinalis Map Maps depict the native area of the plant (in green) Guide to using these pages: They also show areas the plant is naturalised (in purple) Latin Binomial All maps shown Name are derived from ‘Plants of the Common World Online’; English courtesy of Kew Name Gardens Flowering Period Photograph (this is when it is good of the plant for pollinators!) in flower Plant Family Insect groups known to Growing habit favour the and mature size nectar of this of the plant plant Useful knowledge or warnings about the plant RHS AGM cultivars of this species (or a related species occasionally) i Key to these Pages Warnings Additional information on these garden plants This plant would The flowers be suitable for and/or leaves meadow-style have a Pleasant Plant tissue is highly planting scent toxic if ingested The plant has edible parts that are Sap may cause irritation Plant is often used in commonly eaten or (Wash hands after touching traditional Herbal Remedies used in cooking or avoid touching) ii Temperature RHS Hardiness Scale Some of the plants listed in our Top 200 are not fully H1a - Above 15ºC hardy in all or some parts of the United Kingdom. H1b - Minimum 10ºC Plants without a thermometer symbol are fully hardy in the severest UK Winter; equating to H5 or hardier. H1c - Minimum 5ºC Plants with a coloured thermometer symbol are hardy to varying degrees as follows: H2 - Minimum 1ºC H3 - Minimum -5ºC H4 - Minimum -10ºC H5 - Minimum -15ºC Almost Hardy Half-Hardy Not Frost Hardy Not Hardy (H4) (H3) (H2) (H1) iii Pollinators Our data on pollinators has been collected from studies spanning over a decade. Pollinator symbols appear when plants are proven to be good nectar (a) (b) plants for certain insects. It should be noted that all bee and hoverfly data is ours but lepidoptera data is taken from Butterfly Conservation. Our data spans a wide range of different insect species. For simplicity, these species have been condensed into six easy icons to represent them: (c) (d) a) Honeybees c) Bumblebees e) Moths b) Hoverflies d) Butterflies f) Solitary Bees (Includes Moths) (e) (f) iv N. America & Achillea millefolium Eurasia Common Yarrow ‘Red Velvet’ Midsummer - Early Autumn ‘Lansdorferglut’ Asteraceae Daisy Family 2ft Perennial Photograph from Flickr (CC) Nayuki Im 1 Alcea rosea Anatolia Common Hollyhock None Summer . Malvaceae