Phytochemicals with potential or established biological activity have been identified. However, since a single plant contains widely diverse phytochemicals, the effects of using a whole plant as medicine are uncertain

Plants and their uses

Medicinal plants, also called medicinal herbs, have been discovered and used in traditional medicine practices since prehistoric times. Plants synthesise hundreds of chemical compounds for functions including defence against insects, fungi, diseases, and herbivorous mammals. Numerous phytochemicals with potential or established biological activity have been identified. However, since a single plant contains widely diverse phytochemicals, the effects of using a whole plant as medicine are uncertain. Further, the phytochemical content and pharmacological actions, if any, of many plants having medicinal potential remain unassessed by rigorous scientific research to define efficacy and safety.

Medicinal plants demand intensive management. Different species each require their own distinct conditions of cultivation. The World Health Organization recommends the use of rotation to minimise problems with pests and plant diseases.
Cultivation may be traditional or may make use of conservation agriculture practices to maintain organic matter in the soil and to conserve water, for example with no-till farming systems. In many medicinal and aromatic plants, plant characteristics vary widely with soil type and cropping strategy, so care is required to obtain satisfactory yields.
Plant medicines are in wide use around the world. In most of the developing world, especially in rural areas, local traditional medicine, including herbalism, is the only source of health care for people, while in the developed world, alternative medicine including use of dietary supplements is marketed aggressively using the claims of traditional medicine.


Medicinal plants have been used for millennia, and science is just beginning to validate many of their traditional uses.

This basic overview of medicinal plants and their use focuses on herbs you can find or grow in the US, avoiding hard-to-find medicinals or those exclusively used in traditional eastern medicine. All of the herbs discussed here are common and readily available at health food stores, herbal apothecaries, and online ordering.

(If you don’t have a good local source, both common and hard-to-find herbs are available from Mountain Rose Herbs. For herb gardeners, Earthbeat Seeds has seeds for most of the plants discussed here, and they’re one of the best sources for the hard-to-find varieties.)
Many of the plants used for medicine are easy to find for free in the environment around us, whether it be at your local park or just your back lawn. Other’s take a bit more effort to find, and you’d need to venture into the woods or cultivate in a home herb garden.
By providing medicinal plants with pictures and descriptions, along with common uses and medicinal preparations, I hope to simply open your eyes to the wonderful world of medicinal plants growing all around us.
This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of their uses, and many traditional uses have not been validated by modern science. I’ve cited studies where possible, and as always, I’d encourage you to do your own research to validate anything you read here (or anywhere else).

I’ve been foraging wild medicines and treating my family with herbal remedies for the past 20 years, but I’m self-taught. Be aware that I am not a clinical herbalist, and this is based on my own research and personal experience using medicinal plants. I do not claim to have experience that’d qualify me to advise you on your health, and I’m only providing this as a reference to encourage a broader interest in medicinal plants. 
Please use this as a jumping-off point, but always do your own research and verify anything you read with multiple sources.
It’s always possible to have an adverse reaction to any medicinal herb, and plenty of people are allergic to even gentle herbs like chamomile. Always consult your doctor or a certified herbalist before trying any new medicinal plant. Often, they can have unintended reactions in combination with other herbs and supplements, and many herbs have side effects even when they are effective for their intended purpose.
If you are seriously interested in herbal medicine, I’d suggest investing in a course in herbal medicine, and I’d recommend any of the online courses put out by the Herbal Academy of New England. Specifically, the introduction to herbal medicine course and the family herbalist group of courses. 

They also have a mushroom course, covering both medicinal and edible mushrooms, and a Botany and Wildcrafting Course. I’ve taken both and they’re informative, inspiring, and artfully presented.