The Best Plants for Stress Relief, According to 7 Gardening Experts

Gardening is a great way to reduce stress. Watering, feeding and trimming your foliage and flowers connects you to nature, relaxes your mind and releases endorphins, the body's "feel-good" hormones. Some plants are especially helpful for relieving stress and anxiety, improving sleep or simply providing a calm, peaceful environment.

How to Use Plants for Stress Relief

Plants work in different ways, says Dr. Sheri Dorn, Assistant Professor of Sociohorticulture and Horticultural Therapy at the University of Georgia. For example, some are fragrant while others are ingested or applied to the skin, and different pathways determine how our bodies respond. They might evoke a physiological response that lowers blood pressure and pulse rate, she explains, or an emotional response connected to a memory that reduces anxiety. Lavender can be used in "a positive, therapeutic way," because it contains linalool and linalyl acetate, compounds that have a relaxing effect.

Many plants have multiple species, so Dorn advises doing your research to find the right species for stress relief or other purposes. This article is not intended as medical advice; consult a qualified healthcare professional before using these plants, herbs or natural remedies, and never use plants or parts of plants treated with pesticides or other chemicals.

Jasmine

Common jasmine (Jasminum officinale) “has many therapeutic properties,” says Andrew Bunting, V.P. of Horticulture for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, such as “soothing emotional stress.” It may also lower anxiety and improve sleep. This climbing vine with white, sweetly-scented flowers is often used in fragrances, teas and aromatherapy. Jasmine thrives in full sun but tolerates partial shade, and needs moist soil that drains easily. The plants typically grow 4 to 5 feet tall in pots and up to 20 feet in the landscape. They're hardy in USDA Gardening Zones 7 to 10.

Rosemary

According to the National Institutes of Health, rosemary (Rosmarin officinalis) reduced anxiety and depression symptoms and improved sleep quality in a clinical trial. It can be used in diffusers and aromatherapy sprays or as a tea. “The aromatic foliage engages the senses through scent and touch, creating a more immersive, grounding experience often associated with relaxation and mindfulness,” says Katie Rotella, Senior PR Manager for Ball Horticultural Company. She suggests ‘Blue Cascade’, a trailing rosemary plant that you can grow in easy-to-reach containers or hanging baskets for quick relief. In the garden, this herb with evergreen foliage and pale blue flowers needs full sun and slightly alkaline soil. Brian Shaunfield, a Lowe’s manager and garden specialist in Charlotte, N.C., says rosemary grown indoors usually needs at least six hours of direct sunlight daily. It's hardy to Zone 6.

Chamomile

Does chamomile tea really relax you? Dorn points out that in a children's book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Beatrix Potter, Warne, first ed. 1902), Peter’s mom gives it to him after he escaped from angry Mr. McGregor. This herb contains flavonoids like apigenin that bind to naturally occurring benzodiazepine in the brain, she says, and it promotes relaxation while reducing anxiety. German Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) and Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) are the species most commonly used for stress relief. Chamomile is available as an herbal tea and in capsules and other products. The easy-to-grow plants need full sun (with afternoon shade in hot climates), and soil that drains easily. The Roman species is a perennial in Zones 4 to 9. The German one is usually treated as an annual.

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is often used in aromatherapy because of its ability to clear the mind, Shaunfield says. “You can hang branches in the shower, so the steam releases its essential oils, or use fresh leaves in a bowl of water as a DIY diffuser." Eucalyptus globulus 'Blue Gum' is primarily used for stress relief and relaxation; it contains camphor and eucalyptol, compounds that give it a strong, camphor-like scent. Eucalyptus oil is sometimes sold in rollerballs or mixed with other oils, so you can dab it on your pulse points. The plants need full sun when grown outdoors, or a bright window if grown indoors, and do best in airy, well-draining soils. Some types are frost tender, while others are hardy. In general, this herb, which usually grows as a shrub or tree rather than a soft-stemmed plant, is hardy in Zones 8 to 11.

Lavender

Lavender’s essential oils have many therapeutic qualities, and species like Lavandula angustifolia and Lavanda x intermedia "help reduce anxiety, calm the nervous system and reduce the heart rate," Shaunfield says. The florets and buds can be used in aromatherapy, soaps, lotions, crafts, sachets and more. Edible varieties with low to moderate amounts of camphor, a natural, organic compound, are better for culinary use; varieties with higher levels of camphor often taste soapy. These sun-loving plants attract pollinators, tolerate heat and drought and grow best in well-draining sandy, gravelly or slightly alkaline soil. Rotella recommends 'SuperBlue', an English lavender, to keep your garden looking tidy; its blue blooms are held on short flower spikes that won't flop over and leave gaps among your plants. Most lavenders are hardy in Zones 5 to 9.

Lemon Balm

The leaves and extracts from lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) are said to relieve stress and mild-to-moderate anxiety. This lemon-scented herb has been shown to work by increasing gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a brain chemical that has a calming effect. Research also suggests lemon balm might ease depression symptoms and help with sleep issues like insomnia. The essential oil is used in aromatherapy diffusers, tinctures, bath products and cleaning sprays. It's often diluted with coconut or almond oil and massaged into the skin to soothe nerves. Grow this short-lived perennial herb in full sun to partial shade in moist, easily draining soil. It’s hardy in Zones 4 to 9.

Passion Vine

Out of hundreds of recognized species, Passiflora incarnata, also known as passion vine, passionflower (sometimes spelled as two words) or maypop, is considered the best species for stress relief. Like lemon balm, it has compounds that increase GABA to help alleviate anxiety and promote sleep. The vines, which are native to the Southeastern U.S. and Central and South America, grow aggressively to 10 to 30 feet. Vanessa Minton, author of How to Grow Medicinal Herbs: An Illustrated Beginner’s Guide to Growing, Harvesting, and Making Herbal Remedies at Home (Adams Media, releases on June 16, 2026), says ripe passionflower fruits have a sweet, tart pulp you can eat fresh or add to beverages, while the fresh or dried leaves and flowers can be steeped for tea. She adds that while passion vine leaves and flowers can calm the nervous system and soothe mood swings, they should be used in moderation because they can intensify the effects of sedatives and sleep and anxiety medications. Also, some species contain chemicals that can produce deadly cyanide, so you must use the safe species. Give the plants full sun to partial shade in average soils and avoid planting them near your home or other structures; they’re highly flammable. Most are hardy in Zones 6 to 10.

Catnip

Nepeta cataria, also called catnip or true catnip, is an herb with gray-green leaves and pinkish, white or light lavender flowers. Minton says its active compound, nepetalactone, is stronger in the dried plants. Most cats love it; in humans, it helps relieve stress and anxiety and has a mildly sedating effect. Give the plants full sun to partial shade and average to slightly sandy soil that drains easily. The dried leaves can be used in topicals, such as oils and salves, or made into tinctures and teas. Add fresh or dried catnip leaves to hot water for a steam inhalant, or use the essential oil in a diffuser. The plants are aggressive, so you may want to grow them in containers. Minton says a blend of dried ingredients (passion vine, lemon balm, catnip and chamomile) can be steeped to make a calming tea and improve sleep; to sweeten it, add a couple of teaspoons of dried apples. These perennials are generally hardy in Zones 3 to 9.

Peace Lily

Beginner-friendly peace lilies (Spathiphyllum) can lower cortisol, the so-called stress hormone, says Brian. Research suggests this is because connecting to nature has a calming effect. A 1989 NASA Clean Air Study found that peace lilies and certain other plants help filter toxins like benzene and formaldehyde from the air. While newer studies show you'd need a lot of plants to clean as well as a mechanical air filter, peace lilies do create a relaxing, peaceful environment. Give them bright, indirect light and an all-purpose potting soil that's moist, never soggy. Most peace lilies grown as houseplants reach about 16 inches high, but large cultivars can mature to 6 feet. They’re hardy in Zones 10 and 11.

Gardenia

When you're looking for plants that can promote good health, don't overlook perfumed flowers like Gardenia ‘Frost Proof' (Gardenia jasminoides), says Kelly Funk, gardening expert, President and CEO of Jackson & Perkins. "They're known for their rich, creamy-white blooms and intensely soothing scent. This signature fragrance has long been associated with relaxation, helping to ease tension and create a calming, spa-like atmosphere right at home.” Research on the effects of gardenia fragrances have borne this out; aromatic plants that contain natural compounds like terpenes and alcohols were shown to not only freshen the air, but also help regulate blood pressure and the nervous system. Gardenias do best in well-draining acidic soil and 4 to 6 hours of morning sun, followed by afternoon shade. They need high humidity and should be kept moist, not soggy. As houseplants, they need bright, indirect light and a humidifier or a tray filled with pebbles and a little water that can evaporate around them.