Medieval Gardens
In the middle ages, physicians, cooks, and housewives knew that herbs and plants had a variety of uses for keeping people healthy and the home clean.
Listed here are a number of plants we know were cultivated for food, medicine, and other helpful applications.
Size: S- short, M- medium, T- tall
Source: Fr – Freeman, F- Frommand (c. 1525) in Landsberg, G- Gardener (c. 1350) in Landsberg, B- Bunney, L- Landsberg
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Garden and Herber Plants A-C |
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| Common Name | Latin Name | Color | Type | Size | Season | Use | Notes | Source |
| Agrimony | Agrimonia eupatoria | yellow flowers | plant | 2.5 ft | summer | Cul Md |
. | FrF |
| Alder | Alnus glutinosa | . | tree | m | flowers Mar-April |
. | . | LB |
| Alexanders | Smyrnium olusatrum | . | . | . | . | Cul | . | F |
| Almond | Prunus dulci | white-pink flowers | tree | s | flowers Mar-April | Bea | . | FB |
| Anise | Pimpinella anisum | white flower | plant | m/t | flowers July-Aug | Cul | . | FrFB |
| Apple | Pyrus malus | . | tree | . | . | Cul | Court Pendu Plat, Gennet Moyle, Catshead, Calville Blanche d’hiver, Winter Pearmain, Winter & Crimson Quenning | L |
| Archangel (White Deadnettle) | Lamium album | white flower | plant | m/t | flowers March on | . | . | FB |
| Ash | Fraxinus excelsior | red-brown flowers | tree | . | flowers Apr-May | . | . | LB |
| Astrologia longa | . | . | . | . | . | Cul | . | F |
| A. rotunda | . | . | . | . | . | Cul | . | F |
| Avens (Bennet) | Geum urbanum | yellow flowers | plant | m/t | flowers June-Aug | Cul | . | FB |
| Balm | Melissa officinalis | pale-yellow to white to pale-blue flowers | plant | . | flowers July to August | Md | . | FrB |
| Basil | Ocimum basilicum | yellow pink or white flowers | plant | m/t | flowers August | Cul Fra Bea |
. | FrFB |
| Bay, Sweet | Laurel nobilis | . | tree | . | . | Cul | . | FrF |
| Bean, Broad | Vicia faba | . | plant | m/t | . | Cul | . | L |
| Beet, Leaf | Beta vulgaris | . | . | . | . | Cul | . | F |
| Betony | Betonica officinalis | red-purple flowers | plant | M/T | flowers June-Sept | Cul Md |
. | FrFB |
| Birch | Betula pendula | . | tree | . | Apr- May | . | . | LB |
| Bluebell | Endymion nonscriptus | blue flowers | plant | m | . | . | . | L |
| Borage | Borago officinalis | bright blue flowers | plant | S/M | flowers June | Cul | . | FrFB |
| Box | Buxus sempervirens | white-green flowers | evergreen shrub | . | flowers Mar-May | . | .. | B |
| Bramble | Rubus fruticosus | white flowers | shrub | m | flowers May-Aug | . | . | LB |
| Broom | Sarothamnus scoparius | yellow flowers | plant | . | flowers May-June | . | . | LB |
| Bryony, White | Bryonia dioica | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
| Bugle | Ajuga reptans | . | plant | . | . | . | . | F |
| Bugloss | Anchusa officianalis | . | . | . | . | Md | . | Fr |
| Burnet | Sanguisorba officianalis | . | . | . | . | Cul | . | F |
| Cabbage | Brassica oleracea var. capitata | . | . | . | . | Cul | . | F |
| Calamint | Calamintha sylvatica | . | . | . | . | Cul | . | F |
| Camomile | Chamaemelum nobile | white w/yellow center flowers | plant | m/t | flowers Jun-Sept | Cul Md |
. | FrFB |
| Camomile, Wild (scented Mayweed) | Matricaria recutita | white w/yellow center flowers | plant | m/t | flowers May-June | . | . | B |
| Campion, Red | Melandrium album | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
| Campion, White | Melandrium album | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
| Caraway | Carum carvi | white flower | plant | m/t | flowers June-Jul | Cul | . | FrFB |
| Carnation (pink) | Dianthus caryophyllus | . | . | . | . | Cul Fra Bea |
. | F |
| Carrot | Daucus carota | white flower | plant | m | Flowers June on | Cul | . | FB |
| Catmint (Nepp) | Nepeta cataria | purple white flowers | plant | M | Flowers Jul-Sept | Cul | . | FB |
| Celandine, Greater | Chelidonium majus | yellow flowers | plant | . | Flowers May-Aug | Md | . | FrLB |
| Celery, Smallage or Celery Leaf | Apium graveolens | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
| Centaury | Erythraea centaurium | rose red flowers | plant | m/t | flowers Jun-Oct | Md | . | GB |
| Chaste Tree | Vitex Agnus-castus | . | plant | m | . | Md | . | Fr |
| Cherry, Morello, Sour | Prunus carasus vars. | white pink flowers red fruit | tree | S | Flowers May | . | . | LB |
| Cherry, Sweet | Prunus avium vars. | white pink flowers red fruit | tree | S | Flowers May | . | . | LB |
| Chervil | Anthriscus cerefolium | . | . | . | . | Cul | . | F |
| Chestnut (Spanish) | . | . | tree | . | . | . | . | L |
| Chickweed | Stellaria media | . | . | . | . | Cul | . | F |
| Chickory (Succory) | Cichorium intybus | blue flowers | plant | . | Flowers Jul-Oct | . | . | B |
| Chives | Allium schoenoprosum | . | . | . | . | Cul | . | F |
| Clary | Salvia sclarea | white, purple, pink flowers | plant | m/t | flowers August | Cul | . | FrFB |
| Colchicum | Colchicum autumnale | . | . | . | . | Md | . | Fr |
| Colewort (Kale) | Brassica oleracea | . | . | . | . | Cul | . | F |
| Columbine | Aquilegia vulgaris | blue flowers | shrub | . | late spring | Cul Md |
. | FrF |
| Comfrey | Sympthyum officinale | white flowers | plant | m/t | flowers may-june | Md/font> | . | GB |
| Coriander | Coriandrum sativum | white pink flowers | plant | . | Flowers June | Cul | . | FrFB |
| Corncockle | Agrostemma githago | white/yellow purple flowers | plant | T | Flowers May-June | . | . | LB |
| Cornflower | Centaurea cyanus | blue flowers | h’ous | . | Flowers June-Aug | . | . | FB |
| Cost | . | . | . | . | . | Cul | . | F |
| Costmary | Chrysathemum balsamita | . | . | . | . | Cul Fra |
. | FrF |
| Cowslip | Primula veris | deep yellow flowers | plant | S/M | Flowers Apr-May | Bea | . | GB |
| Cress | . | . | . | . | . | Cul | . | F |
| Cress, French (Cress of Boleyn, American Cress) | Barbarea vulgaris | . | . | . | . | Cul | . | F |
| Cress, Garden | Lepidium sativum | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
| Cuckoo Pint | Arum maclatum | . | plant | m | . | . | . | Fr |
| Cucumber (vegetable marrow) | Cucumis sativus | yellow flower | vine, plant | s/m | flowers Jun-Sept | Cul | . | FB |
| Cumin | Cuminum Cyminum | . | plant | m | . | Cul | . | Fr |
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