7 Medicinal Herbs to Grow in Colorado

The rocky mountains can be so challenging to grow anything in with clay soils, dry weather, high altitude, and intense sun!

Here are some beginner friendly plants that can survive our climate and have many uses!

Mint

Peppermint is probably the best known variety, but there are so many Mints that can be grown with little to no effort. They can survive in the sun or part shade and don't need a ton of water once established. They also multiply like crazy! There is a lot of advice to plant mint in pots because it can take over, in our climate, where it can be tough to keep things alive...I view the prolific multiplying mint as a gift. When she takes over, I just "weed" the unwanted areas and use it fresh or dry it for tea later. Crush up in a cocktail or mocktail, chop into salads, make a chimichurri or salsa, put the fresh leafs into my latte.

Peppermint helps soothe tummy aches, improves memory and cognition, and supports respiratory system. Leaves can also be infused into a muscle jelly or soothing salve.

Self Heal (prunella vulgaris)

Self heal is in the same family as mint, but the leaves are mild and don't have a minty flavor at all! It is a low growing plant that produces cute little purple flowers in summer. The leaves and flowers can be put in anything because the taste is so mild, add to salads, pestos, soups, smoothies, etc. Chewing the herb as you walk around the garden is a wonderful way to enjoy the healing benefits.

This herb is also called heal-all, which is quite the name for this humble plant, but it has been used to treat a wide variety of ailments, and is gentle enough to use daily as a general health tonic. The leaves can be brewed into a tea for throat and mouth health, there are even stories of it treating cold sores. It is rich in vitamins and is a powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antimicrobial plant.

The topical used of this plant are also well known. Leaves and flowers can be infused into salves, creams, or herbal oils! It is loved as a wound healing herb.

Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea)

Echinacea is a beautiful flowering herb, pollinators also benefit from this plant! The entire plant is edible and medicinal. The roots contain the highest concentration of the medicinal compounds, they can be chopped up, dried and saved for immune boosting teas in winter! They can also be tinctured fresh or dry. I like to add a spoonful or two into my elderberry syrup. This herb is mostly used for immune support and lowering inflammation in the body. Some newer studies are showing it may help with anxiety and stress as well!

Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)

This is one of the herbs that is famous for flavoring the traditional drink absinthe. Which in historically was used for treating stomach ailments as well as intestinal parasites. This is a very bitter herb, which is great for digestion and stimulating digestive enzymes, stomach acid, and bile production. It makes a great tincture, to keep on hand for parasite exposure, or digestion support.

There is some caution to this herb, it is best in smaller doses, and should be limited to 4 weeks at a time. I feel like the intense bitterness of the herb helps to naturally keep you only wanting small doses anyways.

Comfrey (Symphytum officinale)

Comfrey is a wonderful herb that has wrongfully earned a bad reputation. The studies that create so much caution, aren't really applicable to how someone would use this herb. No one is going to eat 70 leaves in one sitting. The leaves are huge and 1-2 blended into a smoothie is perfectly healthy and a great way to use this plant. Comfrey is cooling and demulcent (moistening), it is a great antidote to a hot dry summer. It has a mild cucumber taste and it can help with internal bleeding, ulcers, and is even referred to as bone-knit.

The constituents in Comfrey have been thought to help heal all tissues, sprains, and even bones. The leaves can be crushed up into a poultice and placed over the injured area. You can also use the roots to make a healing salve.

Another bonus of this plant is that it is an amazing permaculture companion plant. The deep roots act as dynamic accumulors, so they soak up the nutrients deep in the soil, the leaves are loaded with vitamins and minerals and can be chopped up at the base of other plants or steeped in water to make your own fertilizer for plants.

Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca)

The Latin name for this herb translates to lion hearted, which is very indicative of this herb's healing qualities. It is a prized herb for anxiety, calming for the heart and nervous system. It is an overall heart tonic.

The common name "mother" wort points to its other uses, it is a great feminine support herb. It supports menstruation, eases cramps, is a uterine tonic, and can relieve menopause symptoms. It is not for use during pregnancy as it can induce contractions, it can be used postpartum as a relief from afterbirth pains and cramping.

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

Lemon Balm, one of my favorite herbs. She is in my Serenity Tincture blend, available for purchase. Fun fact, I do grow all the lemon balm I put in my products. Lemon Balm has a wonderful lemony herbal smell! This is a hardy easy to grow plant that will reseed and I sell and gift her baby plants all summer. I think every garden needs some lemon balm. It is a good companion plant, so does well at the base of fruit trees or bushes. The smell can be a natural deterrent for pests!

My favorite thing about lemon balm is the rescue from an anxious body. She is so calming, so gentle, so uplifting. Lemon Balm can be tinctured, cut into salads, smoothies, made into a pesto or sauce, dried for teas, etc. There are studies that show lemon balm can actually be more effective than some of the pharmaceutical recommendations for anxiety. Obviously do your own research and choose what feels best for you, but this plant has been a rescue for me many times. I am so thankful for her gifts.