Cowslip (Primula veris)

A lovely little spring plant usually admired for its colorful blossoms. It can also be a soothing tension reliever when its leaves are steeped for tea. Recommended for headaches, vertigo, or insomnia, the leaves can also be cooked or eaten raw. The plant's flowers can be added to salads or candied for cakes.

Raspberry plants (Rubus sp.)

When you think of these plants you think of the berries, but the leaves are equally good for you. They have astringent and decongestant qualities, and their tea is recommended for colds, flu, tonsillitis and fevers. Add 1 to 1½ ounces of raspberry leaves to 8 ounces of boiling water, infuse for several minutes and…voila!

Ginger (Zingiber officinalis)

This has many uses, one of which is a digestive aid. Ginger ale is often used to settle stomachs. The plant's rhizome, or its underground stem, is its useful part. In its native India, a tea is made from the peeled, grated, or minced rhizome; cinnamon; and boiling water. Ginger tea is good for colds and flu.

Mints

Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) is included in the large group of wild and hybridized plants. The antiseptic menthol gives mint its fragrance and taste, cooling and warming simultaneously. Peppermint is a tea herb used as a decongestant to open up the sinuses.

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) was used 2,000 years ago by the Greeks, when it was known as "heart's delight." Lemon balm was reputed to renew youth and strengthen the brain. Infuse it as a tea for relief from chronic bronchial inflammation, feverish colds, and headaches. The lemony leaves are delicious raw in salads.

Wild bergamot (Monarda didyma) was infused as a drink by the Oswego Indians; this bit of information explains the plant's other common name, Oswego tea. Several Native American tribes used wild bergamot for colds and bronchial complaints. The plant contains thymol, a powerful antiseptic. After the Boston Tea Party, New England colonists used it as a tea substitute. Medicinally, the tea is used to relieve nausea and insomnia. Fresh flower petals liven up any salad, and dried flowers are used in potpourri.

Lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla) has a wonderful lemon flavor and scent. At a hectic time, a tea made from this Chilean native herb will relax and calm because of its very mild sedative properties. It can also soothe bronchial and nasal congestion and ease indigestion. Add a teaspoon of fresh, chopped leaves to vanilla ice cream for an unusual lemony dessert.

Hops (Humulus lupulus)

For sleeping problems, drinking a cup of tea made from hops before retiring works well as a sedative.

Catnip (Nepeta cataria) and
Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)

Both are also traditional bedtime teas, because they reduce anxiety and promote a restful sleep.