Healing Flowers: 11 Medicinal Flowers and What the Evidence Says

Each traditional use and health claim on this page was checked on October 19, 2026 against NCCIH, Memorial Sloan Kettering's About Herbs, the European Medicines Agency's herbal monographs, USDA plant guides, NC State Extension, and the ASPCA. Some claims were removed because no source supported them. The evidence in people is modest, so these flowers are best read as traditional herbs rather than treatments.

1. Calendula: Traditional Skin Use, Little Evidence in People

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This yellow-orange flower is easy to grow and can be found in gardens and farms all over the country. The plant covered here is Calendula officinalis, pot marigold, used traditionally on the skin and for minor wounds. The European Medicines Agency's herbal committee lists calendula flower preparations as traditional herbal medicines for minor skin inflammation such as sunburn, small wounds and mild mouth or throat inflammation, on the basis of long-standing use, and says clinical-trial evidence is insufficient. Memorial Sloan Kettering's About Herbs page adds that small studies of calendula on the skin are suggestive and that larger studies are needed.

Calendula petals are used in cooking: they color soups, custards and rice, and flavor cookies and vinegars. Memorial Sloan Kettering says calendula is known to cause allergic reactions.

2. Echinacea: A Small Effect on Colds

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Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea), a pink-flowered garden perennial native to the eastern United States, was used medicinally by Native Americans for respiratory tract infections, tooth pain and snakebite. In people the evidence is modest and depends on the product: NCCIH says taking echinacea may slightly reduce the chance of catching a cold and that it is unclear whether it shortens one. The European Medicines Agency accepts short-term oral purple coneflower herb medicines made from pressed juice for colds, on the basis of trials in which they eased cold symptoms more quickly than placebo when taken early. Three species are used in herbal medicine: Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia and Echinacea pallida; no single one is the only medicinal species. NCCIH says some people have allergic reactions to echinacea, which may be severe, and that people on any medicine should talk to their health care provider first.

3. Rose: Folk and Food Uses Only

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Roses (Rosa species) have a long place in food and folk use: records for Woods rose note that Native Americans used the roots, stems, leaves, flowers and fruits for foods and therapeutic materials, boiling the inner bark and roots for diarrhea and stomach complaints. The hips, the red fruit, are a source of vitamin C and are dried for flavoring teas, jellies and puddings, and rugosa rose hips are the ones sold commercially for tea; these are tradition and food uses, not tested remedies.

For more, see our in-depth guide to popular flowers that are toxic to cats, dogs, and other pets.

4. Lavender: Some Evidence for Anxiety

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Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is native to the Mediterranean region, and its name comes from the Latin lavare, meaning "to wash." In tradition it has been used as an herbal remedy to improve mood and as a sleep aid. Studies suggest an oral lavender oil product might help anxiety, but the research is limited by small samples, and NCCIH says it is unclear whether lavender aromatherapy helps anxiety, pain or sleep. Headache is listed by NCCIH as a possible side effect of lavender aromatherapy, not a remedy, and topical lavender may cause allergic skin reactions.

See the mosquito repellent plant guide for plants gardeners use against mosquitoes.

5. Elecampane: Tradition Only

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Elecampane (Inula helenium) is a tall yellow-flowered Eurasian perennial that has been used medicinally since ancient Greek times. The species name helenium comes from Helen of Troy, and the plant is said to have sprung up where her tears fell; its root is used to flavor absinthe. These are tradition only: no study or review of elecampane for coughs or mucus is known, and the ASPCA's plant list has no entry for it.

6. Chamomile: Not Enough Evidence to Rate

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Chamomile is an old medicinal herb: it was described in ancient medical writings and was important in ancient China, Egypt, Greece and Rome. The two kinds are German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) and Roman chamomile (Anthemis nobilis), and this entry is about chamomile tea flowers in general; the European Medicines Agency lists German chamomile flower as a traditional herbal medicine for minor stomach and gut complaints such as bloating, for colds, and for minor skin and mouth inflammation, on the basis of long-standing use. NCCIH says studies have not produced enough reliable evidence to rate chamomile for any specific condition; some preliminary studies suggest a supplement might help generalized anxiety, and a 2019 review found one insomnia study with no benefit. Allergic reactions are likelier in people allergic to ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds or daisies, and chamomile has been reported to interact with warfarin and some drugs the liver processes.

7. Red Clover: No Proven Benefit

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Red clover (Trifolium pratense) is a legume, like peas and beans, and is often treated as a lawn weed. In traditional use it has been used for skin disorders such as psoriasis and eczema, whooping cough and mastitis. NCCIH says research in people has not shown conclusive evidence of benefit for any health condition, and findings on menopausal hot flashes were inconsistent; no reliable source supports the idea that red clover cleanses the liver or purifies the blood. NCCIH also says red clover supplements may be unsafe in pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Gardeners also sow red clover, a legume, as a cover plant, and the amend garden soil guide covers the practice.

8. Yarrow: Traditional Use, Toxic to Pets

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Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) has a long medicinal history: Native American uses included breaking a fever, soothing a rash and treating hemorrhaging or stomach aches, and the Greeks used it for wounds and stomach complaints. The genus name Achillea is tied to the Greek hero Achilles, in the tradition that he used it on battlefield wounds, and its medicinal use is tied to the Trojan War; this is legend, not evidence.

The European Medicines Agency's herbal committee lists yarrow herb as a traditional herbal medicine for temporary loss of appetite, mild digestive problems with bloating, minor menstrual cramps and small superficial wounds, on the basis of long-standing use, and says clinical-trial evidence is insufficient. The ASPCA lists yarrow as toxic to dogs and cats, with vomiting, diarrhea, colic, drooling and dermatitis, so it is not a pet first-aid herb.

9. Passionflower: Some Evidence for Anxiety

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Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata), a climbing vine native to the southeastern United States and Central and South America, has traditionally been used as a sedative; Spanish explorers learned of it in South America in the sixteenth century, and it entered European folk medicine. The European Medicines Agency lists passion flower herb as a traditional herbal medicine for mild symptoms of mental stress and to aid sleep, on the basis of long-standing use, with insufficient clinical-trial evidence; NCCIH says small studies suggest some help with anxiety and total sleep time but that conclusions are not definite. Passionflower should not be used during pregnancy because it may induce uterine contractions, and NCCIH says it might interact with anesthesia drugs, so it should be avoided before surgery unless a health care provider recommends it. NC State Extension rates Passiflora incarnata a medium poison risk, with severe nausea, vomiting, drowsiness and irregular heartbeat, and says leaves in herbal medicine are not recommended; it also flags the plant as a problem for cats, dogs and horses.

10. Dandelion: No Proven Benefit

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Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is a common weed whose flowers, leaves and root have traditionally been used in Mexican and other North American medicine. In traditional medicine it was also used for its diuretic and appetite-stimulating properties, and in Chinese medicine to promote lactation. Dandelion leaves and flowers are used in salads, stir-fries, jams, wines and teas, and the roots are roasted as a coffee substitute. NCCIH says there is no compelling scientific evidence supporting dandelion for any health condition and that very little research exists; it also notes theoretical interactions with diabetes, blood-thinning and water-pill drugs.

11. Bee Balm: A Native American Tradition

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Bee balm (Monarda didyma) is also called Oswego tea, after the Oswego people of New York, who used the leaves for tea, and it is a North American native used in herbal medicine. Wild bergamot is a related Monarda species; these uses are tradition only, and no human study or review of bee balm is known. Recorded Native American uses of wild bergamot, a related Monarda, include a Blackfoot tea from the blossoms and leaves for stomach pains, a Meskwaki combination with other plants for colds, and a Cherokee warm poultice for headache.