Plant Your Best Tea Garden

Introduction

Purists might chafe at our use of the word tea, since Baker Creek doesn’t carry Camellia sinensis. We do, however, offer a wonderful selection of herbs, roots, and flowers for making tisanes (aka herbal infusions or herbal tea). Keep reading to learn which ones are our favorites!

Who Discovered Tea? 

Legend has it that the mythical Chinese emperor Shennong discovered tea when a leaf of the Camellia sinensis tree fell into his cup of hot water one day. 

Shennong is considered the father of Chinese medicine, and he is revered for having bestowed ancient Chinese culture with its knowledge of herbal medicinal and agricultural practices. Beyond discovering tea, his inventions are said to include irrigation, the plow, and the axe. His name translates to “Divine Farmer,” or “Divine Husbandman,” and he is a deity in Chinese and Vietnamese folk religion. 

The Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, sometimes called The Divine Farmer’s Materia Medica, is the oldest reference book of Chinese medicinal herbs, listing over 365 plants. Some versions of the Shennong story say drinking tea counteracted the effects of toxic plants he was exploring. 

What is a Tisane? 

Tisanes can be made from a wide range of herbs and flowers. They are generally categorized by the part of the plant used to make them: leaf, flower, bark, root, fruit/berry, and seed/spice, and they are made by simply steeping the plant material, usually in hot water, until the desired strength is achieved. 

Humans have been infusing water (and other liquids) with herbs for thousands of years, for culinary, decorative, and medicinal use. 

What are the Best-Tasting Herbal Tea Plants? 

Taste is somewhat subjective, of course, but here is our list of favorites for flavor! 

• Chamomile: With its sweet, floral flavor and aroma, chamomile is naturally calming. It has been traditionally used as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and mild astringent, and as a treatment for indigestion and other gastrointestinal maladies. The lovely little flowers of German chamomile make a wonderful tea!
• Mint: The refreshing, restorative nature of mint makes it tops for tisane. Like chamomile, it is also traditionally used as a digestive aid. We recommend Greek Mountain mint, Marvelous Mix, and Mountain mint for your tea garden!
• Moldavian Dragonhead balm: The blue-purple flower spikes of Moldavian Dragonhead have a delightful citrus aroma. They are equally appealing to pollinators and people!
• Sweet Mace marigold: This late-blooming annual produces small, anise-scented blooms that make wonderful tea, and the tasty leaves are often used as a substitute for tarragon.
• Bee balm: While we offer several varieties of this irresistible flowering perennial, we particularly recommend Bergamo, with an aroma reminiscent of Earl Grey tea, as well as Lemon bee balm.
• Agastache: Showy and fragrant, agastache is a beacon for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. It also makes a phenomenal herbal tea! If you’re new to growing agastache for tea, try the Rose Mint first.
• Basil: Basil is a global culinary herb with a million uses. For herbal tea, we recommend Cinnamon basil, Lemon basil, Lime basil, or Blue Spice basil.
• Lemongrass: The essential flavor of Thai and other Asian cuisines, lemongrass also makes a phenomenal herbal tea! Try it iced for a refreshing summertime cooler.
• Lavender: This great old-time cottage garden favorite, so popular for soaps and potpourris, also makes a wonderful, calming herbal tea. We also love using lavender in simple syrups and desserts.
• Borage: A charming little edible flower, borage imparts a delicate flavor reminiscent of cucumber with a dash of sweetness. Like many other herbs, borage has been used medicinally for many centuries.
• Buckwheat: Buckwheat tea can be made from the grains, flowers, and leaves of the plant. It is a popular beverage in Japan, where it is called Sobacha. Buckwheat tea has a mild nutty flavor, and it is said to have anti-inflammatory properties and may have other health benefits.
• Saffron: The red stigmas of saffron crocus are the most expensive spice by weight. Thankfully, you can grow your own! Just a pinch of this earthy, delicately floral spice is enough for a cup of tea; there are many recipes for combining it with other ingredients as well. Warning: Do not eat the leaves, flowers, or bulbs of saffron crocus. They are poisonous!
• Fennel: Crushed or whole, fennel seeds make a soothing, tasty tea. Many people like to combine the seeds with ginger or peppermint and honey or another sweetener. It is perfect as an after-dinner drink!

Dandelion flowers and leaves make an excellent, delicately flavored herbal tea.

What Are Some Other Traditional Medicinal Herbs? 

• Horehound: Horehound tea is a traditional remedy for coughs and sore throat, as well as digestive problems. This member of the Lamiaceae (mint) family has a bitter mintiness that people sometimes describe as a cross between root beer and licorice.  
• King of Bitters: In Eastern medicine, King of Bitters (or Fah Talai Jone in Thai) has been used for centuries to treat a wide range of maladies, from respiratory and gastrointestinal problems to chronic diseases like diabetes. (We do not make any claims about its medicinal benefits here.) King of Bitters is so bitter, in fact, that many people prefer to take it in capsule form.  
• Clover: Clover is well known as a cover crop, but it has a range of uses in traditional medicine, from treating menopause symptoms to respiratory diseases and arthritis. Clover tea’s flavor is subtle and rather earthy, with a hint of sweetness. 
• Dandelion: All parts of the dandelion can be used to make an herbal tea. The flowers and leaves impart a milder, more delicate flavor than one made with dandelion root. Dandelion is a very important part of traditional medicine across cultures.
• Echinacea: Echinacea is an adaptable, easy-to-grow North American perennial prized by indigenous tribes as an herbal medicinal for a wide range of ailments. The two most widely cultivated species of echinacea, E. purpurea and E. angustifolia, are often used interchangeably in the herb garden and the apothecary. While both species offer the gardener a palette of vibrant colors, the most common flowers are a delicate, soft purple. Echinacea is a beacon for pollinators, and studies have shown that echinacea tea may help boost the immune system. A must-have for cold and flu season. 
• Fenugreek: Known as Methi in India, fenugreek has been used in traditional medicine to support respiratory, gastrointestinal, and cardiovascular health, increase milk production in nursing mothers, and lower blood sugar. Fenugreek’s aroma and flavor resemble maple syrup, but the seeds are somewhat bitter. 
• King Size Orange Strawflower: The double-petaled everlasting blooms of King Size Orange strawflower are superb for design work, crafts, flower crowns, and more. But they also have uses in traditional medicine, including as an astringent, expectorant, and antimicrobial.  
• Butterfly Pea: Blue butterfly pea is one of our favorite flowers for tea, culinary uses, and natural dye! It is used in Ayurvedic medicine as a brain tonic, and scientists have extensively studied its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties. Adding lemon or other citrus juice turns it a pretty pink color!  
• Thyme, Savory, and Oregano: This trio of common culinary herbs also have uses in traditional medicine. Each contains thymol and carvacrol, two phenols that have been studied for their antiseptic, antioxidant, and anti-microbial properties. Traditional uses of savory include treatment of gastrointestinal issues like cramps and nausea. Oregano has been used to treat respiratory conditions and gastrointestinal troubles. 
• Ginger: Baker Creek offers live plant starts of ginger root seasonally. Ginger plants require several months of hot and humid conditions to make the maximum yield. They are perennial in zones 7 and above, and they may be grown outdoors in full sun in most of the U.S.; the mature roots must be dug before the ground freezes in autumn. As a traditional medicinal plant, ginger has been used to treat a wide range of ailments, from nausea and indigestion to colds, migraines, and arthritis. 
• Turmeric: Baker Creek offers live plant starts of yellow turmeric and blue turmeric seasonally. Yellow turmeric is milder in flavor and much less bitter than blue turmeric, making it a better choice for culinary uses. Ayurvedic medicine uses it to treat conditions including respiratory ailments, liver disorders, rheumatism, pain, swelling, and gastrointestinal distress.

Main Takeaways

Tea and other herb-infused liquids have been around for thousands of years. While everyone’s taste is different, you’re sure to find the best flavor for your taste buds among our wide selection. Choose between classic favorites like mint, lavender, ginger and chamomile, or try out something more exotic like Moldavian Dragonhead balm.

Enjoy a nice cup of tea from your garden with Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds!