Controlling pests and weeds doesn’t have to be dirty job. There are plenty of natural ways to combat the unwanted in your lawn and garden, or on yourself and your pets. Many plants contain properties that naturally repel and/or control the growth of other species. Here are 10 for you to consider.

Herbicides
• Black Walnut
• Sunflower
• Sagebrush
• Knapweed

Pesticides
• Garlic
• Hot peppers
• Lemongrass/Citrus
• Cedar
• Marigold
• Catnip

The plants listed under herbicides contain allelopathic qualities. These properties act as natural selectors, meaning they target and kill certain species of weeds without harming other plants, such as grass. Disclaimer: Before undertaking any herbicide treatment, however, it is best to speak with an expert.

The allelopathic properties in plants can be isolated and are often used in commercial herbicides. According to WiseGeek.com, the oil from black walnut trees is extracted from the leaves and used in commercial products, but most other types of walnut trees, including California Walnut, Japanese Walnut, and Texas Walnut, also have this chemical compound in their leaves. When it rains, the chemicals are washed to the ground below the trees, where they inhibit the growth of other plant life.

The allelopathic qualities in sunflowers, sagebrush, and knapweed work similarly. The chemicals in these plants are sometimes extracted from the roots, as in knapweed, the petals, as in sunflowers, or the leaves, as in walnut and sagebrush.

      

Plants that act as natural pesticides are often safer and more eco-friendly than conventional pesticides. However, you should always consult an expert before using any product on yourself, your pet, or in your garden.

Garlic can help ward off mosquitoes. Usually to be effective you must take the garlic in supplement form. Planting garlic in your garden will help repel garden pests, such as aphids. Some people even suggest mixing garlic powder with water and using it as a spray to help repel pests. Garlic can burn the leaves of plants, however, so be careful and use sparingly.

Hot pepper plants also help repel pests in the garden. Plant them between plants bugs love to devour, and they will help keep them away. If you live in an area where pepper plants don’t grow well, purchase hot peppers at your supermarket, remove the juice and seeds, dilute with water, and apply to your plants.

Lemongrass and Citrus is often used in oil form to repel biting bugs such as mosquitoes and flies. Many commercial products contain lemongrass oil, lemon oil, or other citrus, as well. Some of these products are even safe for your pet!

Cedar is very helpful at deterring pests in and around your garden, as well as your home. The cedar bark contains natural oils that bugs hate. Cedar lined closets, chests, and drawers repel wood burrowing pests, while cedar in and around the garden can rid the area of other bugs, especially ticks and fleas. Many homeowners will use cedar in their pets’ beds for this reason.

Marigold is often used by gardeners to ward off grubs, whiteflies, and even small mammals. For best results, place marigold plants in between your food crops and in between plants in your flowerbeds. Marigolds can be started from seed in the early spring.

Catnip has been touted to be ten times more effective at protecting against mosquitoes and other biting insects as DEET. It’s also great for deterring potato beetles, weevils, and ants.

       

Plants are a terrific way to shade your home and outdoor living spaces from the summertime heat. During warm days, your roof, walls, windows, and doors all conduct various amounts of solar radiation into your home. This warming can result in high cooling bills. Shading your home with natural vegetation, however, will conserve energy and reduce your monthly power bill. Likewise, shading your outdoor living spaces, such as patios and lawns, will help reduce moisture evaporation and save you money on your water bill. The following trees, shrubs, and vines are great options for beating the heat.

Trees
According to the Department of Horticulture at North Carolina State University, planting trees around your home can reduce temperatures inside the home by 8-10 degrees. If you’re not opposed to raking leaves in the fall, deciduous trees are recommended because in the winter, they shed their leaves, allowing the warmth of the winter sun to help heat your home. If possible, plant the trees on the south and west side of your home for better cooling results in the summer.

Choose trees that are best for the type of climate you live in. If your area is subject to high winds and/or heavy snow, trees that are sturdy and pliable are your best bet. If you’re short on planting space, trees such as dogwood, magnolia, and some species of elm, are more manageable for small spaces. Examples of good shade tree options include:

• Elm
• Maple
• Oak (pictured)
• Walnut
• Chestnut
• Willow
• Eucalyptus
• Dogwood
• Magnolia

Not only do these trees provide shade, they are lovely additions to the landscape, as well.

Shrubs and Hedges
Planting medium-large shrubs and hedges around your home can also help keep temperatures inside down. They are primarily useful for shading your patio, garden, and yard spaces, however. As in choosing trees, select varieties that do best in your climate. Rhododendron is particularly suitable to cool, rainy climates, for example, while lilacs do better in sunnier climates. Examples of medium to large shrubs that provide shade and are beautiful additions to the garden, include:

• rhododendron
• hydrangea
• bamboo
• yew
• lilac (pictured)
• butterfly bush (buddleia)

The butterfly bush is excellent for attracting butterflies, as its name implies.

Examples of hedges that help provide shade include:

• juniper
• Rose of Sharon
• cypress
• privet

Vines and Climbers
Vines and other climbing plants are classical and romantic. They are also great shade providers. While some people allow vines and climbing plants to crawl up the exterior of their house, be careful in doing so. If your home is made of brick, it will be safer than if it’s made of wood shingles, for example. Also, if you have a bank loan on your home, they will oftentimes not allow plants on or even touching the home.

A safer way to grow and benefit from the shade of vines and other climbing plants is to build a pergola or trellis from which they can grow. Examples of vines and climbing plants that work wonderfully in your garden include:

• English ivy
• Spanish moss
• clematis
• rose
• wisteria (pictured)
• honeysuckle

Further Reading
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like:

“The Best Plants for Indoor Air Purification”
“Dead Rose Blooms Are Good For Your Health”
“Dandelions Are More Useful Than You Think”

Stinging Nettle Characteristics
The Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) is a perennial flowering herb native to mild, damp climates in Europe, North America, Asia, and northern Africa. In North America, it’s readily available in the Pacific Northwest and Canada. It can grow up to 7 feet tall, with leaves up to 6 inches long. The leaves are serrated and covered with small hairs whose tips come off when touched, causing pain, stinging, itching, and numbness. The stems of the Stinging Nettle also contain these small, needle-like hairs. The sensations caused by the sting can disappear within minutes, or last up to a week.

Nettles prefer full sun, and a slightly damp soil rich in nitrogen. For eating purposes, they are best when young and tender. For medicinal purposes, the herb should be harvested when the flowers are in bloom between June and September. Because of their stinging properties, you should wear long gloves to harvest. When cooked, nettles taste similar to spinach. When cooked and/or dried, Stinging Nettles lose their stinging properties, and are therefore useful for many purposes. You can also eat nettles raw. However, you must be careful to get them into your mouth without touching your lips or surrounding tissue. Once in your mouth, your saliva breaks down the stinging properties.

Fun, Historical Uses of Stinging Nettle

• Caesar’s troops brought Stinging Nettle to England, and used its spines for urtification.
• Burial shrouds made of nettle fabrics that date back to the Bronze Age have been discovered in Denmark.
• Hippocrates (460-377 B.C) wrote of 61 ailments remedied by Stinging Nettle.
• When the Germans ran short on cotton during WWI, they used nettles as a substitute.

Sources: http://www.emaxhealth.com/1506/19/34056/health-benefits-stinging-nettle.html; http://www.herballegacy.com/Vance_History.html

Health Benefits
The health benefits of Stinging Nettle are ubiquitous. It is often used in treatment for arthritis and gout, allergies, asthma, eczema, diarrhea and other colon disorders, kidney and urinary problems, enlarged prostate, cystitis, nephritis, anemia, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and brittle hair and nails.

In addition, it’s often used as diuretic, expectorant, pain reliever, anti-inflammatory, and general tonic.

Stinging Nettles are rich in vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Vitamin E, iron, iodine, magnesium, potassium, chromium, copper, zinc, and silica.

Stinging Nettle is often available in health food stores as an extract, in capsules, and sometimes as dried leaves. To use Stinging Nettle to treat any medical condition, consult your doctor first. Often, it is not recommended for children or pregnant women, or people who take blood thinners, such as aspirin.

Other Uses
Stinging Nettles are an effective aphid destroyer. Soak nettles in water for 7-10 days. Dilute if necessary, then spray on plants.

The crushed, dried leaves diluted with water will help keep your roses from getting black spot, a type of fungus.

Nettle leaves provide almost all vegetable crops with essential nutrients. Add a handful to the earth while planting your next garden.

Though coarser than many textiles, nettles make great fibres, and grow easily without pesticides.

Nettles produce a yellow to yellow-green substance that is useful in dye-making.

Recipes

Stinging Nettle Tea
Steep 1 tsp. dried nettle leaves in an 8 oz. mug of hot water for 2-3 minutes. Add honey if desired.

Stinging Nettle Pesto
via Gourmet Sleuth

Nettle Soup
via The Kitchn

Further Reading

“How to Pick Stinging Nettles Without Gloves”

More Useful Plants Articles

“Five Heart Healthy Plants and How to Use Them”

“Dead Rose Blooms are Good for Your Health”

“Ferns—Useful for Cooking, Healing, Decorating and More”

Plants naturally reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air, and increase the amount of oxygen, but did you know they can also reduce other indoor air pollutants, such as mold, formaldehyde, benzene, and more? Although often overlooked as a source of allergies, breathing problems, and other medical issues, indoor air pollution is a serious problem. Everything from the chemicals found in carpet and furniture, to the paint on your walls, can contribute to indoor air pollution. All plants purify the air to some degree, but some are more effective and efficient than others at filtering pollutants. The list below includes some popular and effective house plants to help purify the air in your home. For best results, keep one plant for every 100 square feet of space.

The Spider Plant is one of the most efficient plants at combating the effects of formaldehyde, which can cause headaches and breathing problems. Formaldehyde is often found in clothing, carpet, rugs, furniture, and drapes. Philodendrons and Pothos are also common household plants that filter formaldehyde.



Chrysanthemums, also known as Mums, reduce the pollutant benzene, a known carcinogen. Benzene is found in plastics, detergent, synthetic fibers, and more. Gerbera Daisies are also excellent benzene filterers.






The Peace Lily removes the pollutant chemical trichloroethylene, which is found in paints, lacquers, varnishes, adhesives, and inks. The chemicals used in dry cleaning clothing can also contain trichloroethylene. Exposure to trichloroethylene can cause headaches, dizziness, and damage to the liver and kidneys.









English Ivy is a great plant for people who suffer from allergies to mold and mildew, as it greatly reduces airborne mold and mildew spores. Boston Ferns are also a good choice for this purpose.












Areca Palms are not only a natural humidifier, they also filter xylene, an isomer found in solvents, printing, leather, and rubber. High exposure to xylene causes neurological effects such as headaches, dizziness, and lack of muscle coordination.












For more information, read the following articles:

“Hot Tip: The Best Plants For Indoor Air Quality” via re-nest

“Ten Air Purifying Plants for Homes & Offices” via WebEcoist

Heart disease is the number one killer among Americans. According to the American Federation for Aging Research, one in three men, and one in ten women, will develop heart disease before age sixty. While age and genetics do play a large role in heart conditions, scientists recognize the importance of lifestyle factors in determining heart disease risk. A healthy lifestyle that includes proper nutrition and exercise, among other things, can help reduce your risk for heart disease. Along with eating healthy foods that are high in fiber, antioxidants, monounsaturated fats and other fatty acids, the following five plants are useful in maintaining a healthy heart, or treating heart disease.

As always, before starting any homeopathic regiment, it’s important to discuss it with your doctor. Anything, even plants, taken in the wrong quantity, or the wrong way, can have harmful consequences.

Five Plants for a Healthier Heart

Astragalus

Astragalus is genus of plant that includes about 2,000 species of herbs and small shrubs. Milk-vetch and locoweed are examples of astragalus. Astragalus is an adaptoge, which helps protect the body against various stresses. It has been shown to lower blood pressure, and in people who already have heart disease, it offers beneficial antioxidants during treatment.

The root of the astragalus plant is usually used in teas, extracts, or capsules, and is commonly mixed with ginseng, angelica, and licorice.

Barberry

The barberry is a shrub that can grow up to nine feet tall. It has spiny leaves, and bright yellow flowers from April through June. In the fall, the flowers become dark red berries. The root and bark of the barberry contains isoquinoline alkaloids which have antibiotic properties. For the heart, barberry has proved effective in reducing and normalizing heart rate and lowering blood pressure.

You can find barberry in tea, capsules, tinctures, or extracts.

Chrysanthemum

Often shortened to the name ‘mum,’ chrysanthemums are a genus containing about thirty species of flowers native to Asia and Europe. Chrysanthemum is used to treat circulatory disorders, including atherosclerosis (inflammation of the arteries). It is also used as a treatment for high blood pressure.

Chrysanthemum is most often drunk as a tea.

Garlic

In addition to its culinary uses, garlic has many medicinal purposes. Taken for the heart, garlic can strengthen blood vessels and lower blood pressure. It is often used in treating arteriosclerosis, circulatory diseases, and heart disorders.

Garlic can be eaten raw, cooked, or taken in capsule form.

Hawthorn

Hawthorn is a genus of shrubs and small trees that grow up to 15 m tall and sport thorny branches and clusters of pome fruit, or flowers. Hawthorn contains a wide range of flavonoids, including the heart friendly flavonoid vitexin. The plant provides many benefits to the heart, including dilating coronary blood vessels, restoring heart muscle wall, and lowering cholesterol. It’s commonly used to treat chronic heart failure, high blood pressure, and an irregular heart beat.

Use the hawthorn berry in tincture or capsule form.

Sources

Prescription for Nutritional Healing by James F. Falch, M.D. & Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C.

The Complete Home Healer by Angela Smyth

“Heart Healthy Aging: Five Successful Strategies”
via Aging Well

“Hawthorn – A Prickly Bush That Is Good For The Heart!”
via Home Remedies

“Hawthorn for Your Heart”
via Wellness Resources

“Barberry”
via Alternative Dr.

“Astragalus”
via University of Maryland Medical Center