Memorial Day invites us to pause — to remember those we've lost, to honor the weight of absence, and to sit with feelings that don't always have easy words. Grief is one of the most universal human experiences, and for thousands of years, people have turned to plants to help carry it.
This isn't about numbing or rushing through hard emotions. It's about gentle support — a warm cup of tea, a quiet ritual, a small act of care for yourself while you hold space for someone you love.
Here are five herbs with a long history of supporting the grieving heart.
🌿 Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
Lemon balm has been called "the gladdening herb" since at least the Middle Ages, when herbalists prescribed it for melancholy and a heavy heart. It's a gentle nervine — meaning it soothes and supports the nervous system — with a soft, citrusy fragrance that feels almost like a deep breath in plant form.
Traditionally used to ease anxiety, restlessness, and the kind of low-grade sadness that settles in during hard seasons, lemon balm is one of the most approachable herbs for emotional support. It's lovely as a simple tea, steeped alone or blended with chamomile.
→ Try our Lemon Balm, Tea Cut (Organic) or reach for our Calm Mind Loose Leaf Herbal Tea, which features lemon balm as a key ingredient.
🌿 Hawthorn Berry (Crataegus monogyna)
In the language of plants, hawthorn has long been associated with the heart — not just the physical organ, but the emotional one. Celtic and European folk traditions considered hawthorn a threshold plant, one that stood between worlds, making it a fitting companion for times of loss and transition.
Herbalists have historically used hawthorn to support what they called a "broken heart" — the physical tension, tightness, and heaviness that grief can settle into the chest. It's rich in antioxidants and flavonoids, and while we make no medical claims, its long history as a heart-supportive herb is well-documented in traditional practice.
Hawthorn berries make a beautiful, slightly tart tea with a deep ruby color — grounding and warming.
→ Shop our Hawthorn Berry, Whole (Organic).
🌿 Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora)
Skullcap is a North American native with a quiet, steady energy — a true nervine tonic that herbalists have relied on for generations to ease nervous exhaustion, racing thoughts, and the kind of frayed, depleted feeling that comes after sustained emotional stress.
Grief is exhausting. It asks a lot of the nervous system. Skullcap is the herb you reach for when you're not just sad, but tired — when sleep won't come easily and your mind won't settle. It's gentle enough for daily use and pairs beautifully with lemon balm or chamomile in a bedtime blend.
→ Shop our Skullcap Leaf, Cut & Sifted (Organic). For a ready-made blend, our Restful Nights Loose Leaf Herbal Tea is a lovely evening option.
🌿 Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
Few plants are as universally recognized for their calming presence as lavender. Its use in grief rituals stretches back to ancient Rome and Greece, where it was used in funeral rites and to honor the dead — a tradition that quietly persists today in the flowers we bring to memorials.
As an herb, lavender is a gentle anxiolytic and mood-lifter. It's particularly well-suited to the anxious, unsettled quality of acute grief — the kind that makes it hard to eat, sleep, or simply be still. A lavender tea, a sachet tucked under a pillow, or a handful steeped in a warm bath can offer real comfort in hard moments.
→ Shop our Lavender Flower, Whole (Organic).
🌿 Rose Hips (Rosa canina)
Rose has been a symbol of love, loss, and remembrance across nearly every culture on earth. The rose we bring to funerals, the rose we plant in memory gardens — it carries meaning that goes far beyond its beauty.
Herbally, rose hips are the fruit of the rose plant, packed with vitamin C and antioxidants. They've been used traditionally to support resilience during times of stress and depletion — and there's something quietly poetic about turning to the rose for nourishment when we're grieving. Rose hips make a bright, tart, warming tea that's as comforting as it is beautiful in the cup.
→ Shop our Rose Hips, Seedless (Organic).
A Simple Remembrance Tea Blend
If you'd like to make something intentional this Memorial Day, here's a simple blend you can put together from your pantry:
- 2 parts lemon balm
- 1 part lavender
- 1 part rose hips
- 1 part skullcap
Steep 1–2 teaspoons per cup in hot water for 10–15 minutes. Sweeten lightly with honey if you like. Sit somewhere quiet. Remember someone you love.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult your healthcare provider before use, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or have an existing health condition.
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