Colds and the flu are part of the autumn package—but you definitely don’t have to rely only on over-the-counter medicine to get through the season. This article guides you through 10 herbs you can pick now during early autumn, what they’re good for, and how to use them safely at home.
As the days grow shorter and the first crisp winds of autumn roll in, so too does the season of sniffles, sore throats, and lingering coughs. While pharmacies stock up on remedies, you don’t always have to reach for chemical, mass-produced remedies to feel better – nature offers its own pharmacy and medicine chest—often right at our feet.
Many healing plants are still within reach in early autumn, so you can still find a variety of medicinal herbs that help ease symptoms like sore throat, cough, or congestion, and even support your immune system. By picking and drying a few common herbs now, you can build your own little home apothecary—stocked with natural remedies.
These plants, rich in vitamins, essential oils, and immune-boosting compounds, have been trusted for millennia to ease cold and flu symptoms. Below we explore 10 medicinal herbs you can pick right now, each a natural ally to help strengthen your body, soothe discomfort, and support recovery during the chillier months.
Raspberry Leaf
Good for: Soothing sore throats, fever, easing coughs, reducing inflammation. Raspberry leaves are rich in tannins, which help tighten and tone tissues, making them useful for irritated mucous membranes.
How to use: Dry the leaves and prepare as a tea (1–2 tsp per cup of hot water, steep for 10 minutes). Drink warm to calm sore throats and support the immune system.
Note: Often praised for women’s health, but equally valuable during colds as a gentle astringent tea.
Stinging Nettle
Good for: Rich in vitamins (A, C, K) and minerals (iron, magnesium), nettle helps strengthen the immune system and fight fatigue that often follows a cold. Also good if you have a urinary infection.
How to use: Pick them far from traffic! Harvest young leaves (with gloves!), dry them, and use for tea. Nettle tea supports recovery and helps clear congestion. You can also add fresh leaves (blanched to remove the sting) to soups.
Note: Acts as a mild diuretic, helping to flush toxins. Avoid if you have kidney issues without professional advice.
Sloe Berries (Prunus spinosa)
Good for: Packed with vitamin C and antioxidants, they support immunity, help the body fight viral infections and to ”get back on track” afterwards.
How to use: The berries are very tart raw; best used after the first frost. Make a tea, syrup, cordial, or jam for winter use. A spoonful in warm water can soothe a sore throat and give a vitamin boost. You can also make a decoction for gargling when you have a sore throat.
Note: Traditionally used as a strengthening tonic during the colder months.
Plantain (Plantago major)
Good for: Easing coughs, expectorant, soothing sore throats, calming irritated lungs. Plantain has natural anti-inflammatory and demulcent (soothing) properties.
How to use: Fresh leaves can be brewed into tea, or you can prepare a syrup from the leaves for persistent coughs. Or make a decoction for gargling if you have oral cold/fever blisters (aphtha). If you have cold sores – crush the leaves and put on the wounds. Chewed fresh leaves also soothe sore throats in a pinch.
Note: Widely available “weed” in gardens and paths—don’t overlook it!
Juniper Berries
Good for: Effective if you have a cough. Supporting the respiratory system and acting as a natural disinfectant. Traditionally used to ease coughs, colds, and congestion.
How to use: Crush a few berries and brew into a tea, or add to steam inhalations to clear sinuses.
Note: Strong in effect—do not overuse, and avoid during pregnancy or with kidney issues.
Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)
Good for: Calms coughs and supports the immune system thanks to its expectorant properties. It can loosen mucus and soothe inflamed airways.
How to use: Use dried blossoms for tea (1–2 tsp per cup of hot water, steep for 10 minutes). Drink to ease coughs and throat irritation.
Note: A gentle herb, often used in children’s cough teas. But, don’t use it if you’re allergic to leguminous plants!
Dandelion Leaves
Good for: Supporting the liver and kidneys during illness, helping the body flush out waste products, toxins and recover faster. Also contains vitamins A, C, and K.
How to use: Young leaves can be eaten raw in salads or cooked in soups. Dried leaves work well in tea. Drinking dandelion tea supports overall resilience during and after a cold.
Note: Best to harvest young leaves; older ones can be bitter.
Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris)
Good for: Known for its astringent properties—useful for easing sore throats and reducing mucus. Also mildly anti-inflammatory. Good also if you have a stomach flu.
How to use: Use dried leaves as tea to soothe mucous membranes and support recovery. You can also make a decoction for gargling.
Note: Often associated with women’s health, but also valuable in your herbal medicine chest for colds and flu.
Elderberries
Good for: One of the best-known cold & flu remedies. Elderberries are antiviral and immune-boosting, helping reduce the severity and duration of colds and flu.
How to use: Only harvest black berries! Make a syrup (berries simmered with honey and/or sugar) and take a spoonful daily during flu season, or more often at the first sign of illness. Also great and delicious in teas and jams. Or you can make a decoction and spray your sore throat.
Note: Do not eat raw berries—they can cause stomach upset. Always cook them first, for about 30 min. Make sure to pick ”real elderberries” – pick a bunch, turn the “branch” upside down and see if it can stand upright and flat in your palm. If it can, then it’s real elderberry.
Rose hip
Good for: Exceptionally high in vitamin C, antioxidants, and immune-supporting compounds. A classic cold-weather immune tonic. Studies show the potential for rose hip extracts reducing arthritis pain.
How to use: Collect after the first frost for best flavor. Rose hips are commonly used in herbal tea, often blended with hibiscus. Make into syrup, tea, or jam. Oil can also be extracted from the seeds. In Scandinavia rose hip soup is very popular during winter. Among pagans mead is very popular, and rhodomel is a mead made with rose hips.
Note: They’re often abundant in hedgerows from early autumn onward.
🌿 Bonus tip – nettle cough syrup!
🍁 Three whole clean nettle leaves, = 1 tablespoon chopped
🍁 1 cup brown sugar
🍁 1 cup water
🍁 Splash of lemon
In a saucepan bring to a boil, stir it thoroughly. Cook/simmer on low heat for 15 more minutes. Strain it into a glass container with a fine strainer/sieve. Take 1 teaspoon up to four times a day until condition improves. Store in the glass jar for future use.
