This week has seen our poor teenage son stricken down with a flu-like virus. Raging fever, racing pulse and more spots than 101 dalmatians put together. It was a pitiful and heart-rending sight. He’s on the mend now so I thought I’d take some time to share what our top 5 anti-viral plants are in our forest garden.
A well designed forest garden is more than just a beautiful, biodiverse space—it’s also a living pharmacy. When you’re eating home grown food, you’re likely consuming a variety of nutrient-rich foods. All those fresh vitamins and minerals will be boosting your immune system without you even trying. But sometimes your immune system needs a boost and so it’s useful to have your own medicine chest in your garden.
Whether you’re preparing for seasonal colds or simply interested in building resilience with nature’s help, these five plants are excellent additions to any forest garden.
Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Elderberries are famous for their immune-boosting effects, particularly against influenza and other respiratory viruses. The berries contain flavonoids and anthocyanins that are believed to inhibit viral replication.
Elderberries grow best in full to partial sun, with moist well drained soil. Unlike a lot of plants they don’t mind the wind and make excellent wind breaks (and wands if Harry Potter is to be believed).
Harvest the ripe berries in late summer. Cook them (raw berries can cause nausea) into syrups, jams, or tinctures. My preference is to use the berries to make elderberry cordial or wine (no surprises there).
To make elderberry cordial, combine 500g of elderberries, 500g of water, and 350g of caster sugar in a saucepan. Simmer until the berries are soft, strain the mixture, and add the juice and rind of half a lemon before bottling.
Elderflower also makes nice cordial and wine. Elderflowers have double the levels of antioxidants than the berries so are also great for the immune system. Preliminary lab studies have shown that elderflowers may help to support healthy blood sugar levels within the normal range.
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
My next favourite anti-viral plant is lemon balm. It contains rosmarinic acid, which has been shown to combat herpes simplex viruses and possibly other viral pathogens. It also has anti-anxiety properties and I love it for the smell and taste. It’s my number one go-to for herbal tea/infusions and I keep some in a pot at my front door as I use it most days. The other reason for keeping it in a pot is that it’s a close relative of mint and will spread by roots and self-seeding so is best kept contained.
Lemon balm grows best in full or partial sun and rich moist soil. The bees love the flowers but if you want to prolong harvesting then it is best to keep cutting and harvesting it.
Use fresh or dried leaves in teas for calming effects and antiviral benefits. Can also be made into tinctures or infused oils for topical use against cold sores.
Garlic (Allium sativum)
No surprises here. I think garlic is as well known for keeping viruses at bay as it is for vampire prevention, although probably more scientifically proven for the former. Garlic, and most other alliums (onions, leeks, chives), are rich in allicin, a compound known for its broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, including antiviral effects against common colds and influenza.
Garlic grows best in full sun. It prefers loose, well-draining soil with plenty of organic matter.
Plant cloves in autumn, 2 inches deep and 4 inches apart. Mulch for winter protection and weed suppression.
Use fresh, raw garlic in food daily to support immune health. For strong antiviral effect, crush and let it sit for 10 minutes before consuming. Can also be made into garlic honey or infused oil. (Or, if you have poorly teenager and you’re wanting them to consume garlic without thinking it’s medicine, then Spaghetti Carbonara (loads of raw garlic) with a side of garlic bread can do the trick!)
My friend Claire swears by rubbing her feet with garlic then putting on wet socks as a cure for colds and flu. She’s from the US so I’ve previously humoured her and nodded along, thinking it was some strange American custom. However, when I was sharing this story, somewhat cynically, during a forest garden workshop one of the participants was very excited and exclaimed “Garlic socks! That’s right!” and her daughter agreed that this is their family cure for colds and flu. They weren’t even American! If you want to read more about this then you can click here.
Black Currant (Ribes nigrum)
Moving swiftly on from garlic socks (because socks don’t smell bad enough on their own??)…..we have black currants. These are probably one of the easiest fruits to grow and propagate in Scotland and are packed full of medicinal compunds. Black currants are rich in vitamin C and flavonoids, especially anthocyanins, which have demonstrated antiviral activity. Research shows black currant extracts may inhibit replication of influenza and other viruses.
Black currants are happy in partial shade to full sun and does well in understory conditions. They like moist, fertile and slightly acidic soil.
Plant shrubs 4-5 feet apart to allow space to bush out. They will be most productive if pruned annually. Every year cut a third of the branches of each plant right back to the ground. The fruit grows on one year old wood so don’t cut them all back or you won’t have any fruit!
The berries can be eaten fresh, dried, or cooked into syrups, jams, and teas. Leaves are also medicinal—use in teas for respiratory or immune support. Black currant leaf tea has a mild, pleasant flavor and is a great cold-season ally.
I find most fruit/berry teas to be too astringent where making tea from the leaves produces a milder, smoother cuppa. We grow LOADS of blackcurrants and tend to use them to make cordial and blackcurrant jelly. We always grow more than we can use but the birds soon strip the plants of any leftover berries so they’re great for wildlife too.
My family prefer blackcurrant jelly to jam as the jam contains too many seeds. The jelly is also easier to make as you don’t have to spend hours topping and tailing them and removing bits of leaf. Here’s a link to my favourite blackcurrant jelly recipe.
We also make a very nice blackcurrant and mint sorbet, which is especially delicious with a bit of vodka drizzled over the top (isn’t everything?). I discovered the magic of pouring vodka over sorbet when I lived in France. Lemon sorbet would always be served with vodka, a desert called a Colonel if memory serves me right. If it’s good enough for Les Gastronimiques Francais then it’s good enough for me. I also developed a taste for neat chilled vodka whilst in Russia but that’s another story…..
Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea)
Echinacea is also a well known anti-viral and is widely used to prevent or reduce the severity of colds and flus. It works by modulating the immune system and directly inhibiting viruses.
Echinacea grows best in full sun. It prefers well-drained, loamy soils but will tolerate poor soil and are drought-tolerant once established
Plant out 12–18 inches apart. Deadhead flowers for continuous blooming. They do make great cut flowers if you’re not using them for tinctures etc.
Bees and butterflies absolutely echinacea and they’re a staple in our forest garden.
The roots and flowers of echinacea are used in teas and tinctures. (I haven’t used the roots as that would mean digging up beautiful flowers!). It’s best taken at the onset of viral symptoms. Combine with elderberry or lemon balm for synergistic effects.
No anti-viral forest garden blog would be complete without mentioning oregano (but who ever heard of top 6 anything??). Oregano is so easy to grow and one of the most powerful antiviral and antibacterial herbs around. I have a patch of it at my front door as well as in the forest garden where it is a great ground cover plant. I use it fresh when cooking where possible, and also as a herbal tea.
I’ve a friend with a highly compromised immune system who swears by diffusing Oregano essential oil as a preventative measure against viruses. It can also be taken as a supplement and the essential oil can be diluted in a carrier oil and used topically.
Adding these six powerful antiviral plants to your forest garden not only builds natural immunity but also supports the health of the entire garden ecosystem. They thrive in layered, permaculture-based plantings, and their uses go far beyond the medicine cabinet.
What are your favourite medicinal plants in your garden?
Leave a Reply