What Are the Best Medicinal Plants for Beginner Gardeners?

Discover 7 easy-to-grow medicinal plants perfect for beginners. Grow your own healing garden, even with zero experience—plus real-life tips.

You know those days when everything feels just a bit too much—the notifications, the errands, that awkward silence in your group chat after someone shared a meme from 2019? That’s when gardening comes in. Not the intense, dig-a-pond kind. I mean the gentle, soul-soothing act of growing plants that give back.

Yes, I’m talking about medicinal plants. The kind your grandma used to swear by . But seriously—these are healing herbs that even beginners can manage without accidentally growing a mutant zucchini. True story: A friend once tried growing cucumbers in winter. Mistakes were made.

Anyway, let’s get into it. Here are 7 easy-to-grow medicinal plants that won’t make you question your life choices. Well, unless you water them like it’s a flood warning every day. Don’t do that.

The Beyoncé of houseplants—low drama, high impact. If you’ve ever had a sunburn or a cooking mishap involving hot oil and zero oven mitts, you know the value of Aloe.

Uses:

• Soothes burns. Even emotional ones (just kidding—maybe).
• Moisturizes skin like a luxe spa product but free.
• Has a slimy texture that oddly feels…comforting?

Grow it like this:

• Loves light but not too much. Think window seat, not tanning bed.
• Forgetful waterers rejoice—it likes dry soil.
• Don’t over-pot it. It’s chill with being snug.

Imagine floating on a cloud made of teacups and sleepy thoughts. That’s chamomile. It’s what you drink when you’re done with humans for the day.

Healing perks:

• Sleepy time magic.
• Soothes tummies, like after regrettable street food.
• Helps with inflamed skin—or at least gives you something to sip while you wait it out.

To grow:

• Give it sunlight. Lots of it.
• Sandy soil = happy chamomile.
• Pick the flowers early morning, when the world still feels gentle.

Fresh. Spicy. Borderline invasive. You’ll plant it once and it’ll act like it owns the place. But honestly? It’s worth the drama.

Good for:

• Headaches, stress, sinus sniffles.
• Post-lunch bloating (you know the kind).
• Giving your garden a refreshing scent that says, “I am alive and thriving.”

Pro tip:

• Contain it in a pot or it’ll go full colonial.
• Keep the soil moist. Not soggy, not Sahara.
• Snip the leaves often to keep it in check.

Lavender is like that friend who wears linen, does yoga at sunrise, and somehow makes anxiety look stylish.

Reasons to love it:

• Sleep. Calm. Romance. All the soft words.
• Works great in DIY sachets, oils, or awkward apology gifts.
• Its scent literally slows your heartbeat. Google it.

How to not kill it:

• Dry, gritty soil. Think French countryside.
• Full sun. All day.
• Don’t baby it. Lavender thrives on a little struggle.

Looks like sunshine. Works like a salve.

Medicine for:

• Cuts, scrapes, and clumsy moments.
• Red, angry skin (like post-waxing regret).
• Anti-fungal. Anti-ugh.

Grow plan:

• Loves sun. Like, bring-it-on sun.
• Pots are fine. Earth is fine. It’s not picky.
• Deadhead blooms so it keeps blooming like it’s on tour.

Ever wanted to bottle calm? Lemon balm is close. It smells like a summer evening and a second chance.

What it helps with:

• Mood swings (aka life).
• Sleep, focus, digestion.
• Great in tea, better in sangria (just saying).

To keep it thriving:

• Give it some sun, some shade. It’s flexible.
• Moist soil is key.
• Trim it back often to stop it from flowering too early. Flowering dulls the taste—kind of like spoilers before watching the movie.

The wellness influencer of the garden. Bold, beautiful, and secretly sturdy.

Why it’s a keeper:

• Immune system love.
• Cold and flu nemesis.
• Butterflies love it. And bees. Win-win.

Make it grow:

• Full sun—it’s a sun worshipper.
• Doesn’t fuss over soil.
• Water when it’s dry. That’s all. Where This All Fits In

You don’t need a huge garden—or even a proper one. You could start on a windowsill, or that random patch of dirt by your driveway. What matters is the intention. These plants give back. To your body, your mind, even your space.

And if you’re thinking beyond healing herbs? Like food with a kick of nostalgia or tradition? Don’t miss our post on What Are 16 Easy Compact Asian Vegetables You Can Grow—they pair surprisingly well in the same garden beds.

I remember Mia—yes, Zen garden Mia—she planted lemon balm and bok choy side by side. Said one fed her soul, the other her stir-fry. Brilliant, really.

Gardening isn’t about doing it right. It’s messy, like life. There will be aphids. Things will wilt. But also, one day, you’ll rub a peppermint leaf between your fingers and remember—this is healing.

And don’t forget, herbs are powerful. Always check with your doc before going herbal-happy, especially if you’re on meds or growing a tiny human.

Start small. Choose just one or two. Let your hands learn the soil, the scent, the change. And let your garden become your wild, fragrant, imperfect sanctuary.

tnh..x