Medicinal plants offer more than ornamentation

University of Illinois at Chicago’s healing garden

Although a weeping willow might appear humble, the common tree is actually quite remarkable: A natural pain reliever found in its bark taught scientists how to make aspirin, the household defense against headaches and heart attacks.

Ginger reduces nausea and improves digestion. Lemongrass treats ringworm, lice, athlete’s foot and scabies. And ongoing local research has shown that extract from birch tree bark kills melanoma—a potential breakthrough in skin cancer treatment.

These natural remedies all grow in a small courtyard at the corner of Wood and Polk Streets on the University of Illinois Chicago Medical Center campus. More than 140 species are cultivated there throughout the year by the College of Pharmacy to educate students on medicine’s lineage, as well as provide raw material for new drug research...more

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