Valerianaceae. Scarce perennial to 4 feet. Full to partial sun, average soil and water needs. Tall straight stems, leaves remain close to the ground, are light green in pairs of 8-10 leaflets. Tiny white, fragrant flowers in Summer of second year. Hardy ornamental herb. The root is the usable part of the plant so cultivate your bed well and deep. Root is also smelly, so be prepared at harvest time.

Companion: Attracts butterflies. Boosts growth in other plants by stimulating phosphorous and earthworm activity. Add leaves to raw compost.

Harvest: Dig up plant in year 3 or 4. Divide and replace half of plant back in ground to continue growing. Strip stems & leaves from harvested root, wash, peel and shred. Dry in cool, dark airy place. When completely dry, store in dark, airtight bottle.

Uses: Bitter tasting root of three year-old plant used as a tea and general tonic for headache, depression, stress, insomnia, liver tonic; is antibacterial.
Contains valepotriates. Use only on advice of a physician.
Origin: Native to Europe & Asia.

'Arctic Summer' Biennial to 5 feet.
Felt-like silver green foliage, tall white to pale yellow flower spikes June - August.
Great tall border plant.

Mulleins are sun-loving summer blooming plants with furry, broad leaves. Self-sowing, they may get away from you, so plant where they can be given some room to roam or cut flower spikes before they go to seed. Drought tolerant once established. Moderate soil & water needs. Establish fertilizing schedule for best flowering. Plant 18"- 24" apart.
Companion: Attracts butterflies and bees.

There are concerns that since the leaves contain rotenone and coumarin, it is not advisable to use any mulleins for anything but ornamental purposes.

Scrophulariaceae. Hardy Biennial/Perennial to 3'. Pale yellow flowers June to October, seeds ripen August to October.

Easily grown plant, it succeeds in most well-drained soils, including dry ones, and prefers a sunny position. Dislikes shade. Hybridizes with other members of this genus, though the hybrids are usually sterile.

Companion Use:The flowers are pollinated by Insects. The plant is self-fertile.
Repellent. The plant repels insects, it is used indoors to repel moths and cockroaches.
Origin: Britain.

There are concerns that since the leaves contain rotenone and coumarin, it is not advisable to use any mulleins for anything but ornamental purposes.

Reseeding Biennial growing to 3’. Hardy to zone 5. Succeeds in most well-drained soils, including dry ones, preferring a sunny position. Dislikes shade and wet soils.

Companion: Flowers in Summer, are pollinated by Insects.

Harvest: The plant is harvested when in flower and should be dried quickly and with care or it will lose its medicinal qualities.

Medicinal use: An infusion is used internally in the treatment of various respiratory complaints including coughs, bronchitis, asthma and throat irritations. An infusion of the fresh or dried flowers in olive oil is used to treat earaches, sores, wounds, boils etc.

There are concerns that since the leaves contain rotenone and coumarin, it is not advisable to use any mulleins for anything but ornamental purposes.

Scrophulariaceae.
Bloom spikes and side spikes resemble large Candelabras, hence it's common name 'Candelabra Plant'.

Sun-loving, summer blooming plants with furry, broad leaves. Self-sowing, they may get away from you, so plant where they can be given some room to roam or cut flower spikes before they go to seed. Drought tolerant once established. Moderate soil & water needs. Establish fertilizing schedule for best flowering. Plant 18"- 24" apart.

Companion: Attracts butterflies and bees.

There are concerns that since the leaves contain rotenone and coumarin, it is not advisable to use any mulleins for anything but ornamental purposes.

Scrophulariaceae. Perennial to 2-3 feet. Leaves smooth on top, hairy on underside. Long purple flower spikes. Pink variety also available.
Mulleins are sun-loving, summer blooming plants. Self-sowing, they may get away from you, so plant where they can be given some room to roam or cut flower spikes before they go to seed. Drought tolerant once established. Moderate soil & water needs. Establish fertilizing schedule for best flowering. Plant 18"- 24" apart.

Companion: Attracts butterflies and bees.
There are concerns that since the leaves contain rotenone and coumarin, it is not advisable to use any mulleins for anything but ornamental purposes.

Scrophulariaceae. Biennial, yellow flowering mullein is the traditional medicinal variety.
Mulleins are sun-loving summer blooming plants with furry, broad leaves. Self-sowing, they may get away from you, so plant where they can be given some room to roam or cut flower spikes before they go to seed. Drought tolerant once established. Moderate soil & water needs. Establish fertilizing schedule for best flowering. Plant 18"- 24" apart.

Companion: Attracts butterflies and bees.

There are concerns that since the leaves contain rotenone and coumarin, it is not advisable to use any mulleins for anything but ornamental purposes.

Verbenaceae. Perennial to 2'. Full to part sun, alkaline soil. Tolerates moist soils & wind. In leaf April-October. Flowers July - September. Avoid acid soils and shady positions. Best in cultivated beds. A very easily grown plant, are very tolerant of neglect.

Pollinated by Bees, flies, lepidoptera, self. Companions: butterflies and moths.

Harvest as flowering begins in the summer and dried for later use

Uses: Leaves - parboiled, seasoned and then eaten. The leaves are used as a tea substitute. Flowers are used as a garnish.

Medicinal Uses: Vervain is sometimes used as a domestic herbal remedy, it is useful when taken internally in the treatment of headaches, fevers, nervous exhaustion, depression. Avoid when pregnant.

Externally, it is used to treat minor injuries, eczema, sores, neuralgia and gum disease. The leaves and flowering stems are analgesic, antibacterial, anticoagulant, antispasmodic, astringent, mildly diuretic, stimulant, tonic and vulnerary. The root is astringent, it is used in the treatment of dysentery.

Compositae. Perennial growing to 5’. It is hardy to zone 3.
Large masses of aster-like, purple flowers from July to August. Succeeds in any soil in a sunny position. Division in spring; the plants often self-sow. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil.

Pollinated by Insects. Attracts hummingbirds.

Medicinal Uses: The root is a blood tonic. It is used to regulate menstruation, relieve pain after childbirth and also in the treatment of stomach aches and bleeding. An infusion of the roots has been used as a mouth wash to make loose teeth firm.

Origin: Eastern N. America - New Jersey to Georgia, west to Alabama and Pennsylvania.

Scrophulariaceae. Perennial groundcover to 8". Full to mostly sunny location, average soil & water needs. The hairy stem trails along the ground often forming dense mats. The flowers are violet or lavender. Blooms first appear in late spring and continue into mid summer. Close examination of the flowers reviles that they are light, sometimes almost white with darker markings. Great all-round garden plant for rockeries, meadows, borders and woodland settings.
Division in autumn or spring, planted into their permanent positions.

Companion: attracts butterflies.

Harvest: Flowers as the blooms begin to open, leaves in summer and dried for later use.

Uses: Tea is made from the fresh flowering herb or the dried leaves. The dried leaves can be added to tea blends. The leaves and roots are astringent, diuretic, expectorant, and tonic. They have been used to treat hemorrages, skin diseases, wounds, coughs, stomach and urinary disorders. Pretty much obsolete in modern herbalism .
Cherokee Indians used it treat earache with the juice. Contains tannins, bitters, essential oil and the glycoside aucuboside & vitamin C.

Origin: Europe. Named for Saint Veronica. Legend says Veronica gave Jesus Christ a towel on which he wiped his face while on his way to Calvary where he was executed.

Scrophulariaceae. Perennial to 2 feet. Full to mostly sunny location, average soil & water needs. A profusion of 6" blue spikes in Summer. Great cut flower. Use in sunny border or rock gardens.
Companion: attracts butterflies.
No proven medicinal use.

Verbenaceae. A deciduous shrub to 9’ at a medium rate. Prefers a light well-drained soil in a warm, sunny position. Succeeds in dry soils won't tolerate water-logging.
A very ornamental plant, the flowers, leaves and stems are strongly aromatic, seeds have a pungent lemony perfume.

Flowers are produced at the ends of the current year's growth. Any pruning is best done in the spring- cut out dead wood and shorten last year's flowering branches. In leaf June to October, in flower September to October.

Companions: The scented flowers are pollinated by Insects.

Edible Uses: The fruit is used as a condiment, it is a pepper substitute. The leaves are also used as a spice. The leaves are one of the ingredients of the legendary Moroccan spice mixture 'ras el hanout’.

Medicinal Uses: The berries have a range of medicinal actions, acting on the pituitary gland to correct hormonal imbalances caused by an excess of estrogen a lack of progesterone. Has a wide use in treating problems in the female reproductive system and restoring menstruation, regulating heavy periods; restoring fertility when caused by hormonal imbalance, relieving pre-menstrual tension and easing the symptoms of menopause. The fresh berries are pounded to a pulp and used in the form of a tincture
for the relief of paralysis, pains in the limbs, weakness etc.
A perfume is made from the flowers. Young stems are used in basket making.
A yellow dye from the leaves, the seed and the roots.

This species has long been regarded as a symbol of chastity.

Caution- excessive doses can cause a nervous disorder known as formication, whose symptoms include a sensation of insects crawling over the skin.

Rare Tender perennial to 2.5’. Full sun and moderate water needs. It's the root your cultivating with this plant, it is best planted in deep, well-tilled soil.
An Ayurvedic medicinal plant from India, bearing small white, bell-shaped flowers currant-sized red fruits. Seeds are viable.

Harvest: Best root harvest after 3rd year. Wash, peel, grate and dry. Store in dark bottle.

Uses: Infuse dried root as a tonic drink or tea. Sometimes grown as an annual for young tender roots- though recent research has shown that leaves may be higher in withanoids than roots. Used much the same way ginseng is used in Chinese medicine- to improve vitality and to speed recovery from chronic illness.

In Ayurvedic tradition, third-year roots are used, somewhat like echinacea, for memory loss, infertility, impotence, nervous exhaustion, stress, insomnia, rheumatism, loss of muscular energy chronic diseases and weakness in children or the elderly.

Origin: India

Caution: Do not use during pregnancy. May potentiate the effects of barbiturates