Hello there, dear cozy friend. I think by now it is quite obvious that my number one obsession is tea. I love everything about tea. I like gathering the plants, brewing the tea, and drinking it. Each of these steps has such whimsy to it that I could not imagine my life without it. Every time someone dear is going through something, be it a physical problem or an emotional one, the first thought I get is “what tea can help in this situation?”. And since I do consider you part of my “dear ones” circle, I thought I could make you a short guide with 13 of my favorite plants that you can look over whenever you find yourself in need of something.

I present you the 13 stars of my apothecary…

All of this being said, please take into account the fact that I am no physician, just a plant-obsessed girly who grew up making leaf soup, so please, before using these teas as a long-term treatment for physical afflictions, top my knowledge with a little bit of research of your own.

Enough talk, let’s get into the juicy part. I present you the 13 stars of my apothecary:

1. DANDELION

Dandelion is a humble yet powerful plant, recognizable by its bright yellow flowers and toothed leaves, growing almost everywhere across Europe. I personally consider the dandelion to be such a misunderstood plant. Most people see it as a weed and try to get rid of it or don’t see it at all, when in reality it should be a pantry staple. Not only is every part of it suitable for tea, having a wide range of benefits, but the leaves can actually be eaten raw in a salad.

As far as dandelion tea is concerned, depending on which part you choose to use, it supports liver health, digestion, and gentle detoxification. The leaves are harvested in spring, while the roots are dug in autumn and roasted for tea. Dandelion leaf tea can be used as a diuretic and can help with blood pressure, but the root is actually my favorite part. Dandelion root tea supports the liver and gallbladder, and it helps to detoxify the body, having a large spectrum of uses when it comes to chronic toxicity linked to inflammation or infection, and it can even help treat acne from the inside.

Where the witchy side of the dandelion is concerned, this has always been considered a psychic plant that helps one access ancestral wisdom and resilience. It has been used to enhance psychic awareness, encourage guided dreams, and reconnect with forgotten knowledge.

2. HIBISCUS

Hibiscus is a vibrant flowering plant with large, papery petals in deep reds and pinks. It thrives in warm climates but is widely grown and enjoyed around the world, often dried and imported for tea. The calyx, the leaves, and the flowers are usually used for their medicinal properties, but for now I would like to focus on the petals only.

Hibiscus flower tea is rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, supporting heart health and circulation. I also like to think about it as a beauty potion, because every time I drink it, it makes me feel beautiful and alive from the inside out. And if that is not enough to turn you into a hibiscus fan, this tea can also soothe a sore throat and help with colds, but it can also help you cool down from the inside out in the summer.

Magically, hibiscus is associated with joy, beauty, and passion. It is often used in love workings, confidence rituals, and teas meant to awaken delight and emotional openness. It is also a plant that is associated with the sacred feminine, and drinking a hibiscus tea with intention can help you connect to your womb and its infinite wisdom.

3. BUTTERFLY PEA FLOWER

Butterfly pea flower is a delicate climbing plant with soft, velvety petals in a deep, inky blue. Native to Southeast Asia, it thrives in warm, tropical climates and has been used for centuries in traditional herbalism and ceremonial drinks. The petals of the flower are the part most commonly used for tea, prized both for their vivid color and their gentle medicinal properties.

Butterfly pea flower tea is rich in antioxidants, particularly anthocyanins, which are known to support brain health, memory, and overall cognitive function. Traditionally, it has been used to support calm focus and mental clarity, making it a wonderful tea for moments of reflection or creative work. The flavor is mild and earthy, allowing it to blend beautifully with other herbs. A little magic happens when you add lemon or any acidic ingredient. The deep blue tea transforms into shades of violet and purple, a reminder that even the simplest rituals can hold wonder.

Magically, butterfly pea flower is associated with intuition, transformation, and inner vision. Its ability to shift color has long symbolized alchemy and change, making it a favorite in teas meant to support personal growth and gentle transitions. Drinking butterfly pea flower tea with intention is often said to help quiet the mind, open intuitive pathways, and encourage a deeper connection to one’s inner wisdom and imagination.

4. ROSE

Rose is a timeless flowering plant with soft, layered petals ranging in color from pale blush to deep crimson. It grows widely across Europe and has been cultivated for centuries in gardens, hedgerows, and monastery grounds. For tea, the petals are most commonly used, ideally harvested in late spring or early summer when the flowers are fully open and fragrant. Once dried, they retain much of their aroma and gentle potency.

Rose petal tea is rich in antioxidants and vitamin C and is traditionally used to support heart health, digestion, and the nervous system. It has mild anti-inflammatory and soothing properties, making it especially helpful during times of stress or emotional overwhelm. Rose tea is often described as comforting and uplifting at the same time, gently softening tension while encouraging emotional openness and self-care from the inside out.

Magically, rose has long been associated with love, beauty, and emotional healing. Beyond romantic love, it is deeply connected to self-love, compassion, and the healing of the heart. Rose has been used in teas and rituals meant to release grief, invite gentleness, and restore emotional balance. Drinking rose tea with intention is often seen as a way to reconnect with softness, deepen intuition through the heart, and remind oneself that tenderness can be a powerful form of strength.

5. LAVENDER

Lavender is a silvery-green plant with fragrant purple flower spikes, commonly found in Mediterranean regions and cottage gardens across Europe. It is a mostly known plant, but its medicinal properties in the form of oil are more widespread than the magic that lavender tea holds, but I am about to change that for you.

Lavender tea, made from the lavender flowers, is great for calming your nervous system, easing anxiety, tension, and restless thoughts. Combined with other plants, it can help with insomnia, migraines, and even depression. But that’s not all these little buds can do. Lavender tea can even soothe indigestion and relieve bloating.

Magically, lavender is associated with peace, protection, and clarity. Drinking lavender tea can encourage calmness, enhance meditation, and help clear mental clutter. It is often used in rituals to promote tranquility in the home or heart, and adding intention to a cup of lavender tea can help you release tension and invite gentle, restorative energy into your life.

6. LEMON BALM

Lemon balm is a fragrant herb in the mint family, with soft, green, slightly fuzzy leaves and small, pale yellow flowers that bloom in summer. It grows well in temperate climates and is commonly cultivated in European gardens, thriving in sunny or partially shaded areas with well-drained soil. Leaves are harvested throughout the growing season and dried for teas or used fresh.

The bright, lemony flavored tea that’s made from the aerial parts, the leaves, of this plant is known for its ability to instantly lift your mood. Drunk regularly, it is even said to promote longevity. Lemon balm is a relaxing tonic that can be of great help when dealing with emotional problems that include anxiety, mild depression, irritability, or restlessness, as well as other afflictions caused by emotional problems, such as heart palpitations, indigestion, or nausea. This great, fun tea is said to even be able to relieve toothache.

Magically, lemon balm is associated with happiness, harmony, and protection. Sipping lemon balm tea can lift your spirits, promote emotional clarity, and encourage peaceful energy. It is often used in rituals for love, joy, and friendship, and drinking it with intention can help create a sense of calm and balance while gently connecting you to the natural rhythms of the day.

7. RASPBERRY LEAF

Raspberry leaf comes from the leaves of the raspberry plant, a hardy shrub that grows across temperate regions in Europe and beyond. The leaves are harvested before the fruit ripens, usually in late spring to early summer, and dried for tea. They have a mild, earthy flavor, slightly astringent, and make a soothing herbal infusion.

Raspberry leaf tea is renowned for its health benefits, particularly for women. It is often used to support menstrual health, ease cramps, and prepare the body for childbirth. It also contains vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that support overall wellbeing, digestion, and mild detoxification. Raspberry leaves can also relieve diarrhea, but a word of advice, it is not indicated to drink this in the early stages of pregnancy.

Magically, raspberry leaf is associated with protection, grounding, and feminine energy. Drinking raspberry leaf tea with intention can connect you to ancestral wisdom, enhance intuition, and support rituals centered around fertility, nurturing, and personal empowerment. It’s a comforting tea for quiet reflection, helping you feel held and supported by the natural world.

8. YARROW

Yarrow is a delicate yet resilient plant with feathery, fern-like leaves and clusters of tiny white or soft pink flowers. It grows abundantly across Europe in meadows, fields, and along paths, thriving in poor soils and open sun. The flowering tops and leaves are usually harvested in summer while in full bloom and dried for later use.

Yarrow tea has long been used for its antispasmodic properties, being of great help against menstrual discomfort, be it heavy flow, cramps, or even irregular periods. Yarrow tea, when combined with other plants such as peppermint and elderberries, creates a great tonic that can help you recover from colds and flu. Moreover, it is also known for its circulation-support properties, helping with lowering blood pressure, venous circulation, and varicose veins. On top of everything, it can also help with hay fever.

Magically, yarrow is known as a plant for courage, strength, and protection, as well as good cheer. Yarrow tea can be drunk in order to strengthen your energetic boundaries and protect your energy.

9. NETTLE

I know it’s not fair to have favorites, but I must say that from this list, nettle is my number one. Growing as a tall, vibrant green plant with serrated leaves and fine stinging hairs, it can be found across all of Europe in forests, gardens, and along rivers. The entire plant can be used for its medicinal properties, root, leaves, and seeds in different forms such as concoctions, tinctures, or ointments, but for the tea we are focusing on the leaves.

Nettle tea is deeply nourishing and mineral-rich, containing iron, calcium, magnesium, and silica. It supports energy levels, blood health, hair and skin vitality, and gentle detoxification. Often described as a “green multivitamin,” nettle strengthens the body over time rather than offering quick stimulation. Nettle is also a great anti-allergenic, a very good ally when fighting hay fever or asthma.

Magically, nettle is associated with vitality, protection, and life force. It has been used to ward off negativity and strengthen resilience. Drinking nettle tea can help you feel rooted, supported, and quietly powerful, like you’re replenishing your inner reserves. And as if all that wasn’t enough, nettle is also great in breaking curses.

10. GINGER

Ginger comes from a knobby, golden-brown rhizome with a warming, spicy aroma. Though not native to Europe, it has been treasured in herbal traditions around the world for centuries and is easily found fresh or dried.

Ginger tea is a great all-rounder with a wide range of uses. It is most known for its properties as a digestive stimulant, helping with almost all digestive issues, from bloating and indigestion to nausea and even morning sickness. It is also great for the immune system, and it supports the body during colds and flu, not only by being antiviral and helping with respiratory issues, but also by helping cool and control fevers. Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, it is also a great tool to relieve menstrual cramps and even muscle discomfort after exercise.

Magically, ginger is a plant of fire, courage, and forward movement. It is often used to spark motivation, passion, and confidence. Drinking ginger tea with intention can help you reconnect with your inner drive and move through life with warmth and momentum.

11. THYME

Thyme is a low-growing, woody herb with tiny green leaves and delicate pink or purple flowers. Native to the Mediterranean and widely grown across Europe, it thrives in sunny, dry places. The aerial parts are harvested just before flowering, when the aroma is strongest.

Thyme tea is traditionally used to support the respiratory system, soothe sore throats, and help during colds and coughs. Due to its antiseptic properties, it is great for supporting the immune system as well as fighting infections, especially fungal ones, as well as chest infections. Research has shown that many compounds in thyme can help relieve muscle pain, making it an efficient plant against period cramps.

Magically, thyme is associated with courage, strength, and inner fortitude. Historically, it was believed to inspire bravery and clarity. Drinking thyme tea can help you feel steady, protected, and quietly resilient in challenging moments.

12. ELDERFLOWER

Elderflower comes from the elder tree, which blooms in late spring with clusters of tiny, creamy-white flowers that carry a sweet, floral scent. Native to Europe, elder trees grow along forest edges, hedgerows, and old country paths. The flowers are harvested on dry, sunny days when fully open and gently dried for tea.

Elderflower tea is traditionally used to support the immune system, ease colds and flu, and soothe sinus congestion. It encourages gentle detoxification through perspiration and has mild anti-inflammatory properties, making it especially comforting during seasonal transitions.

Magically, elderflower is associated with protection, renewal, and the threshold between worlds. In European folklore, the elder tree was seen as sacred. Drinking elderflower tea is said to help release stagnant energy, invite gentle healing, and support intuition during times of change.

13. FENNEL

Fennel is a graceful plant with feathery green leaves and umbrella-shaped clusters of yellow flowers. Native to the Mediterranean but naturalized throughout Europe, it grows in sunny, dry areas. The seeds are harvested in late summer once fully ripe and dried for tea.

Supporting digestion is one of the main uses of fennel seeds, since they can relieve bloating and settle stomach pains, thus making it a beloved tea after meals or during times of hormonal fluctuation.

Magically, fennel has been associated with clarity, protection, and longevity. It was traditionally used to ward off negative influences and enhance perception. Drinking fennel tea with intention can help clear mental fog, support inner balance, and invite a sense of calm clarity.

If you have read all the way until here I want to thank you for letting me share my passion with you. I could forever ramble about plants and teas and tinctures and it brings me great joy to be able to share it with someone. Anyway, I will have to leave you now because all this talk has made me thirsty and I am looking forward to making one of my special cozy blends that you can read all about in one of my next posts.

And just between us cozy friends, I also keep a small Etsy shop where I turn plants and teas into illustrations, like little visual spells. If you feel like wandering through it, you can find it here. And because you are part of this cozy circle, you can use the code COZYFRIENDS for 35% off, as a little gift from me to you.

Warm hugs