4 medicinal plants: chamomile, lavender, elder and aloe

Updated on 21 September 2026Published on 11 June 2026

Freshly harvested lavender and chamomile bundles laid on a rustic wooden surface in summer sunlight

Four plants earn their place twice over: they look good in the bed and they fill the herb jar. Chamomile, lavender, elderberry and aloe vera each have a narrow moment when their aromatic and active compounds are at their fullest, and a right way of being cut. Here is that moment, plant by plant, plus what to do with the harvest once it is indoors.

The four plants at a glance

Identity card for four dual-purpose garden plants
Plant	Botanical name	Family	Part used	Harvest season	Taste
Chamomile	Matricaria recutita	Asteraceae	Flower heads	Early summer to late summer, in flushes	Sweet, apple-like, faintly bitter
Lavender	Lavandula angustifolia	Lamiaceae	Flower spikes	Early summer to midsummer	Floral, camphorous, slightly soapy
Elder	Sambucus nigra	Adoxaceae	Flowers, then ripe cooked berries	Flowers late spring to early summer; berries late summer to early autumn	Flowers honeyed; berries tart and winey
Aloe vera	Aloe barbadensis miller	Asphodelaceae	Inner leaf gel	All year, from mature outer leaves	Neutral to bitter; not a flavouring

Reading the harvest window

The window is short because the aromatic compounds peak at or just before full bloom. Look at the plant, not the calendar.

Chamomile: pick when the white petals are horizontal, before they bend back towards the stem.
Lavender: cut when roughly the bottom third of the spike has opened. The “fully spectacular” stage is already past peak.
Elderflower: cut heads that are creamy and fully open, on a dry morning, before they start to brown.
Elderberry: wait for uniformly black clusters that droop under their own weight and give slightly under the thumb.
Aloe vera: take the outermost, thickest, firmest leaf — never the slim young ones at the centre.

How to cut each one

Chamomile: snip the flower heads with clean scissors, taking a short length of stem. Spread them in a single layer to dry the same day, or use them fresh.
Lavender: gather the stems into loose bundles, no thicker than a wrist, and hang them upside down somewhere dark, dry and airy.
Elder: take whole flower heads or whole berry clusters with secateurs, then strip the berries off the stalks with a fork. The green stalks are not for eating.
Aloe vera: slice the leaf off cleanly at the base, then stand the cut end down in a cup for a few minutes so the yellow latex drains away before you fillet out the clear gel.

Gardener's hands harvesting elderberry clusters from a laden summer shrub — *Elderberries are cut as whole clusters, fully black and yielding*

What they are credited with

Chamomile is traditionally taken as an evening infusion for its reputation as a calming, wind-easing herb after a heavy meal.
Herbalists have long used a cooled chamomile infusion as a compress for tired, irritated eyes and reddened skin.
Lavender has a long-standing reputation in European folk practice as a soothing, sleep-friendly plant — hence the pillow sachet.
Naturopathy credits diluted lavender oil with easing tension when massaged into the temples or the back of the neck.
Elderflower is traditionally drunk as a hot infusion during the shivery, stuffy days of a winter cold.
Cooked elderberry syrup has a strong reputation in country herbalism as a winter tonic taken by the spoonful.
Aloe gel is traditionally applied to skin after too much sun, to minor scrapes and to dry patches, for its cooling, moisturising feel.

How to use it

Forms of use, preparation and traditional purpose
Form	How it is made	Traditionally used for
Chamomile infusion	A small handful of dried flower heads per mug of just-boiled water, covered, steeped five to ten minutes	An evening drink, or cooled as a compress
Elderflower infusion	A few fresh or dried heads in hot water, covered, steeped about ten minutes, strained well	A hot drink during a head cold
Elderberry syrup	De-stalked ripe berries simmered with water until soft, strained, then cooked down with sugar or honey	A spoonful in hot water through winter
Lavender sachet or infusion	Dried spikes rubbed off the stem into a cloth bag; or a pinch of flowers steeped briefly	Sleep pillows, linen, a light bedtime tea
Aloe fresh gel	Latex drained off, skin filleted away, clear gel spooned out and used at once	Applied to skin, not swallowed

A few practical notes on timing and taste:

Chamomile turns bitter if boiled hard or steeped too long — keep it covered and short.
Lavender overwhelms a cup fast. Use a pinch, not a spoonful, and pair it with chamomile or lemon balm.
Elderberries must be cooked through before they go anywhere near a jar. No raw “smoothie” shortcuts.
Aloe gel oxidises within hours. Cut what you need for one application; refrigerate the rest of the leaf, cut side wrapped.

Signals that change the timing

Chamomile opening and reflexing within a single day is heat-stressed — pick earlier than usual, even if the plant looks sparse.
Brown tips on lavender before harvest usually point to drought or poor drainage; harvest the healthy spikes and improve the soil for next season.
Elder clusters staying green unusually long: check the stem junctions for aphids, which slow ripening.
Thin, inward-curling aloe leaves mean the plant is conserving water. Water deeply, wait several days, then harvest.

Further reading on these same plants: why dried herbs lose their aroma and strength, and the most common mistake with dual-purpose plants.

Cautions

Never eat raw elderberries, even fully ripe ones, and never eat the leaves, bark, green stalks or unripe fruit. They contain sambunigrin and cause nausea and vomiting. Always cook the berries thoroughly.
Drain the aloe latex. The yellow sap under the leaf skin is aloin: it irritates skin and the gut. Do not take aloe latex or whole-leaf preparations internally.
Chamomile and elderflower belong to families that trigger allergies in some people — if you react to daisies, ragweed, marigolds or chrysanthemums, approach chamomile with caution.
Lavender essential oil is not for swallowing and should never go on skin undiluted. Dilute it in a carrier oil and patch-test first.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding: avoid aloe taken internally, lavender essential oil and medicinal quantities of chamomile or elder. Ask a midwife or doctor before using any of them.
Children: keep essential oils away from babies and young children. Herbal infusions for a child should be discussed with a healthcare professional first.
Medication: if you take anticoagulants, sedatives, diuretics, diabetes medicines or immune-modulating drugs, check with a pharmacist or doctor before making these plants a habit.
Stop immediately if any rash, itching, swelling or digestive upset follows use, and seek advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

The one thing to remember: cut chamomile and lavender in the cool of early morning at the stage described above, and cook every elderberry before it reaches a jar.

Can I harvest chamomile more than once in a season?

Yes — chamomile flowers in successive flushes through summer. Walk the patch every few days during the peak and take the heads whose petals are still horizontal. Leaving spent flowers on the plant slows the next flush, so picking often keeps it productive.

How do I know if my lavender is past its harvest window?

If more than half the flowers on the spike are fully open, or the lowest ones are browning, the aromatic peak has passed. You can still cut and dry the spikes for sachets and bunches, but expect less scent. Next season, cut when only the bottom third has opened.

Is it safe to eat raw elderberries straight from the garden?

No. Raw elderberries, even fully ripe, contain sambunigrin and cause nausea and vomiting when eaten in any real quantity. Cook them through — simmered into syrup, cordial or jelly — and discard the stalks, leaves and any unripe green fruit.

Which aloe vera leaf should I never cut?

Leave the young slim leaves at the centre of the rosette; they are still developing and hold little gel. Take the outermost mature leaves, thick and firm at the base, and always stand the cut end down for a few minutes to drain the yellow aloin latex before filleting.

Do these harvest times work in the Southern Hemisphere?

Yes, because they are written in seasons rather than months. Early summer in Auckland or Cape Town is the same cue as early summer in Cornwall. Read the plant — petal angle, spike opening, berry colour — and the calendar takes care of itself.

This information is provided for general interest and reflects the traditional use of plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice. If you are on medication, pregnant, or in any doubt, ask a healthcare professional.