'Tis Planting Season! 7 Medicinal Flowers That You Can Grow in Your Garden

Fresh, colourful flowers in your personal space can be one of the best stress-busters during these trying times. 

With the planting season in full swing, you can expand your garden to include gorgeous blooms that also have many health benefits. While you may have often heard of rose and aloe vera being used in many at-home DIY skincare routines, there are many other flowers that are just as handy. Dr Partap Chauhan, director of Jiva Ayurveda, says, “Pushpa Ayurveda is a special branch of Ayurveda that was developed primarily by Jain priests that uses flowers as a remedy. A flower might look delicate and fragile, but it has the power to cure infections ranging from skin problems to considerable malignancy.”

He explains that depending on the type of flower, you can either used only petals, the stigma, the upper portion of the style or the flower as a whole for medicinal purposes. The usual way of using flowers is to consume them as a juice decoction or paste as a tincture or even dry them to create a powder. Here are his pick of medicinal flowers you can grow in your garden:  

Hibiscus/Shoeblackplant (Sanskrit: Japa, Hindi: Java)

The petals and leaves of this flower can be found in red, pink, white, yellow and orange colours. Hibiscus is widely used in Ayurvedic teas which help lower blood pressure. It also helps with diarrhoea, piles, haemorrhage as well as hair fall, hypertension, cough. It can also be useful as a contraceptive.

Rose (Sanskrit: Saumyagandha, Hindi: Gulaab)

Roses contain tannins, vitamins A, B and C. It is also widely used as an essential oil. The juice of this flower is used to reduce body heat and headaches. Dried rose is given to pregnant women as a diuretic and petals are used for stomach cleansing. The rose petals are also used for making sweetmeats such as ‘murraba’ which helps ease digestive issues.

They are also beneficial for lung-related diseases, irritation in the eyes and skin problems such as acne breakouts.

Plumeria (Sanskrit: Champaka, Hindi: Champa)

These fragrant yellowish or orange flowers are recommended as Ayurvedic medicines for various ailments such as skin diseases, wounds and ulcers.  A decoction of this flower is used for treating nausea, fevers, vertigo, cough and bronchitis.

Golden Shower Tree (Sanskrit: Araghvada, Hindi: Amaaltaas)

You may have often seen these yellow flowers that hang from its tree in long drooping chains. It is useful in the treatment of skin diseases, cardiac diseases, jaundice, constipation, indigestion and even earache.

Lotus (Sanskrit: Padma Kamal, Hindi: Kamalambuj)

Lotuses are white or pink, large solitary flowers. The national flower has tremendous spiritual and cultural connotations. However, it is equally popular for being effective in reducing body temperature, skin diseases, burning sensation, boils, diarrhoea and bronchitis.

Chrysanthemum (Sanskrit: BahupatrikaSevanti, Hindi: Guladaavudi)

The juice or infusion of this ornamental yellow flower can cure vertigo, hypertension, furunculosis. You can also brew the petals to make a tea that can help reduce pain and fever. The same mixture can be used to soothe tired and puffy eyes. It is also beneficial to cure digestive disorders and works as a laxative.

Jasmine (Sanskrit: Mallika, Hindi: Mogra)

A fragrant tea made by brewing these white flowers has long been used to ease off anxiety and insomnia and other ailments of the nervous system.  It also proves beneficial for alleviating digestive problems, menstrual pain, and inflammation.