HERBS IN THE GARDEN

Thinking about planting your garden soon? Perhaps there are a few spots that could use the addition of some new plants. With spring on its way, many of us are cleaning out perennial beds, planting early vegetables, and planning the summer garden. Consider growing some Chinese herbs, for harvest, or just for the beauty of their flowers and foliage.

Steven Foster, author of “Herbal Emissaries: Bringing Chinese Herbs to the West”, offers a photo journal of important Chinese herbs in American horticulture, highlighting ones that are beautiful additions to the garden. There is a wide range of plants and seeds available online from Plant It Herbs, an organic Chinese medicinal plant nursery in Ohio, and One Garden which offers organic and biodynamic Chinese herb seeds, along with helpful growing tips.

Here are a few suggestions of plants to consider that I have found easy and rewarding to grow, as well as being great for medicinal use when harvested and used fresh or dried:

Codonopsis pilosula (Dang Shen) or bonnet bellflower

Properties:
This is an easy herbaceous perennial plant to grow, and can even be found in some specialty plant nurseries. The root is commonly used for tonifying the Spleen and Lung qi and is widely prescribed for fatigue, weakness, loose stool, poor appetite, shortness of breath, anemia, and other deficient qi conditions. Research has shown this herb to be effective in stimulating the immune system, promoting digestion and metabolism, and increasing red blood cell and hemoglobin counts.

In the Garden:
The plant has a delicate vining habit up to 6 ft. long, with beautiful bell-shaped flowers that are yellow-green with lavender streaks. Though it is commonly grown on a trellis, it can also be planted in rock gardens to sprawl along the ground. It likes a relatively cool climate, shade to part sun, and well-drained soil. The plant is quite hardy but when grown from seed, should be started indoors. The seedlings can then be planted outside after the last frost (usually April), being careful not to damage the small rootlets when transplanting. For best medicinal quality, the root should be harvested after 3 or more years of growth.

Salvia miltiorrhiza (Dan Shen) or Red Sage

Properties:
This is a perennial with beautiful lavender-blue flowers that bloom in clusters throughout the summer. It is native to China and one of over 750 species of the mint family that includes the common garden sage often seen in culinary and medicinal gardens. “Salvia” is derived from the Latin word, salvare, meaning “to heal”. The root of Dan Shen is said to invigorate the blood, and is used in many Chinese formulas for clearing heat from the Heart and Liver, calming the spirit, treating blood stasis pain in the chest, abdomen and reproductive system, and a host of other problems. It has generated a good deal of research for it’s positive effects on decreasing coronary heart disease, reducing hypertension, treating cerebrovascular disease, assisting fracture healing, and treating chronic hepatitis.

In the Garden:
The plant is easy to grow in sun or part shade, tolerant of cold, and likes rich, well-drained soil. There are many varieties of Salvia found in garden nurseries, but this one is less common, though carried in plant form by Plant It Herbs , and in seed form from One Garden . When grown from seed, it should be started indoors and transplanted after the first frost when the seedlings are 3 to 5 inches high. The root is harvested during the winter, from November to March, when the plant is dormant. The thick roots are most potent, which after harvesting, may be washed, then dried in the sun and stored for later use.

Platycodon grandiflorum (Jie Geng) or Balloon Flower

Properties:
This has such an attractive flower that this plant is commonly found in plant nurseries, grown by gardeners and horticulturists as a unique ornamental. Jie Geng is used medicinally to open and circulate the Lung qi, and to dissolve phlegm. The fresh root is often an ingredient in soups in Japan and Korea. In Chinese medicine, it is used primarily for treating respiratory conditions, commonly seen in formulas for the treatment of colds, cough, excessive phlegm, lung abscess, throat problems, and chest oppression. Recent research has shown it to be helpful in reducing blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol.

In the garden:
A striking addition to the garden, Platycodon grows 1 to 3 feet tall, flowering June through September with deep violet, blue, or white flowers shaped like balloons. It is easy to grow, cold resistant, and does well in a variety of growing conditions from full sun to part shade, though it likes cool moist surroundings. Plants are easy to find in nurseries, or by mail, but they may also be grown from seed, started in a greenhouse or sown directly into the garden after the last frost. Cover seeds with about 1/2 inch of soil, and water regularly. Roots may be harvested in the spring or fall, after at least 2 or 3 years of growth. The dense, heavy roots are best and should be harvested in the fall.



There are many other Chinese herbs recommended for cultivation. Here are some favorites known for their beautiful flowers or foliage:

Agastache rugosa (Huo Xiang)
Aster tataricus (Zi Wan)
Astragalus membranaceus (Huang Qi)
Dianthus chinensis, Dianthus superbus (Qu Mai)
Houttuynia cordata (Yu Xing Cao)
Leonurus heterophyllus (Yi Mu Cao, Chong Wei Zi)
Ligusticum jeholense (Gao Ben)
Ophiopogon japonicus (Mai Men Dong)
Rehmannia glutinosa (Shu Di Huang)
Rosa rugosa (Mei Gui Hua)
Scutellaria baicalensis (Huang Qin)


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Article References:
Brenzel, Kathleen Norris, “Western Garden Book”
Foster, Steven, “Herbal Emissaries”
World Health Organization, “Medicinal Plants in China”