Create Your Own Unique Herb Gift Collection

Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) is a native wildflower herb with a rich and ground breaking medicinal history. It’s a cottage garden staple with hundreds of varieties in different colours - all bred from this original woodland dwelling plant. All parts of the plant are highly toxic to humans and animals so beware if you’ve nibbly cats and dogs or inquisitive young children. Foxgloves are one of Britain’s most recognisable wildflowers, instantly spotted by its tall spires of dangling, thimble-shaped blooms. Also known as fairy gloves, witches’ bells, dead man’s bells, or folk’s glove, they are especially adored by bumble bees. In the 18th century, English physician William Withering revolutionised cardiac medicine by identifying compounds in foxgloves which are used to this day to treat heart conditions.  

If you’re looking for an easy to grow, pretty, native wildflower which will attract bees, butterflies and moths then look no further than Red Campion Red (Silene dioica). Also known as called Red Catchfly, Adder’s Flower, or Robin Hood, with vivid cerise flowers and soft hairy leaves which have been gracing verges, hedgerows, woodlands and country lanes for centuries. Its soapy sap was traditionally used as a natural hand cleanser and hair wash. In folklore it was thought to ward off snakes – especially Adders. Not a culinary superstar, Red Campion is edible and does however have some uses. The young leaves have a mild, earthy taste a bit like spinach and can be treated in a similar way. The delightful flowers make a great decoration or addition to foraged salads, cakes and biscuits and cocktails. You should grow Red Campion for its appeal to bees, butterflies and moths. A favourite of the astonishing Hummingbird Hawk-month whose extra-long tongue can penetrate the deep flower head where others can’t, it’s also a great food source for bumble bees and various butterfly species.

Cowslip (Primula veris), also known as Herb Peter, Key Flower, or Mayflower, is one of Britain’s most beloved springtime wildflowers. With its nodding clusters of golden, bell-shaped blooms and gentle honeyed scent, cowslip has long been cherished in folklore, medicine, cooking, and gardening. Once very wide spread, you know may only see small clusters of these cheerful harbingers of spring in fields, along roadsides and on grass verges and banks. A UK native with a rich history and folklore it was thought to ward off evil spirits and reveal hidden fairy treasure! In traditional medicine it was used as an expectorant to sooth coughs and colds, as a mild sedative and to ease rheumatism and joint pain. Cowslip has a mildly sweet, floral, honey-like flavour with subtle green and herbal notes. Both flowers and young leaves have culinary potential, particularly in desserts and syrups.

Teasel (Dipascus fullonum) is unique amongst wildflower herbs in that it’s arguably more useful dead than alive! In autumn and winter, the unmistakable sight of spires of dried teasel stems and spikey heads are commonly found along hedgerows, roadsides, waste ground, and in woodland margins. They provide valuable bird food – especially for Goldfinches, and flocks of these beautiful birds can often be seen teasing out the fine seed from the spiney heads. The dried stems also make excellent, natural decorations for flower arrangements and Christmas wreaths. Back in the day, teasels were in great demand in the textile industry where the dried seed heads, with their stiff hooked bracts, were used to “tease” or raise the nap on woollen cloth—hence the name teasel. This easy to grow biennial should be part of any wildflower area or garden, they’ll thrive in most conditions and when alive and in flower, will attract a host of bee’s and butterflies.

Herb Robert is a type of native wild geranium with pretty pink flowers, which thrives almost anywhere. It’s an important wildflower herb for bees and pollinators and has a rich history of medicinal use and spiritualism. Also known as Stinking Bob, this cheerful little fella has a dark side which is that it has a rather pungent, off-putting, musty smell when crushed. Bluntly – think fox wee! Don’t let that put you off though. It’s delicate pink flowers and ability to grow in most soils and aspects make it an attractive choice for areas of the garden where other plants struggle. Thought to be named after a medieval monk - St Robert of Molesme, who popularised its use medicinally, using it to stop bleeding, healing wounds, and treating infections. Once thought to cure snake bites due to the speckled stems and seeds resembling a viper’s skin or head, it’s not a culinary plant and is now rarely used in medicinal remedies.

Toadflax is a delightful, cheerful wildflower herb which spreads freely and can get a bit out of hand. It’s hard to complain at its profligacy because Toadflax flowers are a designed for bees and look simply gorgeous. Often called ‘wild snapdragons’ due to their resemblance to Antirrhinums, they’re actually second cousins or something and are certainly more useful! Historically, Toadflax was used as a natural dye for producing yellow hues. It was considered a “herb of the people,” appreciated for its medicinal properties and its association with purity and resilience.

Milk thistle, known scientifically as Silybum marianum, is a spiky yet beautiful herb with the best latin name of any plant, in our opinion! It’s one of those wildflowers which maybe considered a weed – it’s very vigorous and will spread quickly. However, if you’ve room in your garden it’s a wonderful, architectural plant, loved by bees and butterflies and of course is renowned as a natural remedy for liver conditions. It’s a great plant for a cat safe or dog friendly garden and is actually used in some pet supplements to boost liver functions. The spikey leaves generally discourage nibbling anyway.

If you want to bring all the bees to the yard then growing Viper’s Bugloss is a must. It’s a striking native wildflower herb with electric-blue flowers and bristly stems, also known as blueweed or blue devil and is famous for its bee appeal. Like most native wildflowers, Viper’s Bugloss is incredibly easy to grow - is suitable for most soil types and enjoys full sun. It just likes to be left alone to get on with its main purpose which seems to be to attract as many bees and pollinators as possible! Once thought to cure snake bites due to the speckled stems and seeds resembling a viper’s skin or head, it’s not a culinary plant and is now rarely used in medicinal remedies.

Red clover is a cheerful, bright little native herb often found in meadows, pastures, and along roadsides and in lawns. Its vibrant pink to purple flowers and distinctive trifoliate leaves are hard to miss. A herb synonymous with luck, if you find a super-rare four leaved clover then go and do the lottery! Red clover is a well-known natural remedy for the treatment of several menopause symptoms and it’s great for foraging, lending itself to a number of culinary uses. Easy to grow, it just needs a bit of space to spread.

Lady’s Bedstraw (Galium verum), also known as Yellow Bedstraw or Maid’s Hair, is a charming, honey-scented wildflower loved by bees, revered by herbalists, and cherished by gardeners. A UK and European native, it was prized as a stuffing for beds (hence the name) due to its sweet scent and insect repelling properties. It was said to be used by the Virgin Mary as bedding straw in baby Jesus’s manger. Easy to grow and used to our unpredictable climate, Lady’s Bedstraw’s golden yellow flowers are a magnet for bees and butterflies and was a popular symbol of love, happiness and fertility. Practical too – the roots were used to create a natural red dye and in cheesemaking as a natural rennet.

Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium caeruleum) is a hardy UK perennial with blue flowers, loved by bees. Learn how to grow it and buy young plants online here. Sometimes known as Greek Valerian, Charity, or Abscess Root, Jacob’s Ladder is a charming, cottage-garden perennial that combines soft beauty with a rich history of folklore, medicine and symbolism. Best loved for its elegant, ladder-like foliage and clouds of blue or violet flowers, this plant is as useful to pollinators as loved by bees. Historically, Polemonium caeruleum was cultivated in monastery gardens and physic gardens during the Middle Ages. Herbalists valued it for its calming and expectorant properties, while folklore credited it with the ability to restore harmony and protect against illness.

Selfheal does what it says on the tin when it comes to traditional medicinal use. Also known as “heal-all” or “allheal,” this low-growing native plant with lovely purple flowers has been prized for centuries in herbalist practices. It’s also got form in the kitchen, with a mild slightly bitter taste suited to leafy salads, and gorgeous flowers which make a wonderful garnish. Very easy to grow, it’s a native hardy perennial loved by bees and butterflies. It’s not generally a problem for pets, selfheal is an ideal creeping plant for a dog safe or cat friendly flower garden.

Woad (Isatis tinctoria) is a historic blue dye plant for UK gardens. Learn how to grow it, its uses, and buy young woad plants online. Often known as Dyer’s Woad or Blue Woad, it’s famous for producing a rich blue dye long before indigo reached Europe. Woad is a striking, architectural plant that also boasts a long history of medicinal use, folklore, and cultural symbolism. Often thought to have been used by the ancient Picts (and Mel Gibson) for tattooing their bodies with intricate blue designs, there is now some conjecture about this. Never-the-less, there’s no doubting it’s importance in the early textile industry when vast fields were sown with Woad and laws that laws were passed to protect its trade.

Despite the unfortunate name, this is actually a pretty native wildflower and is a medicinal herb garden superstar. It’s local, so will be happy in most conditions and soil types, although it does do better in a fertile, moist spot. St John’s Wort has long been used as a mood enhancer and is known as a herbal antidepressant. It needs a bit of space and develops into a small, hardy perennial shrub. Suitable for large pots or unfancied parts of your garden, in partial shade. St John’s wort will be happy growing in our pot on a sunny windowsill until it needs potting on.

Valerian is a pretty, native wildflower which attracts an abundance of friendlies to your garden, including cats (friendly or not) and has a rich medicinal history. It has many common names including ‘all-heal’ and ‘phu’ (pooh) which is appropriate as the dried root smells of sweaty socks! Cats love its ripe scent; it stimulates them in a similar way to catnip. It loves a rich, moist position and will grow in most aspects and soil types. Valerian is very vigorous but will be ok in our pot on a sunny windowsill to begin with, although it really needs planting out asap.