General: Long-time-favored plant used for its essential oil to make perfumes, incense and India ink. Patchouli thrives in hot sun. Grow in well-drained soil and lots of bright sunlight.

Medicinal Uses: The scent of patchouli is one that evokes hippies of the sixties, however the aromatic oil made from the leaves is prized for its many medicinal uses. You can massage it on your skin to help prevent wrinkles and cellulite. Dabbing a small amount on your skin can help to soothe cuts, scrapes, burns, and sores as well as insect bites. Apply a few drops to your wrists or bed sheets to keep ants, bedbugs, and other pests away. Putting two or three drops on a cotton ball and dabbing it on your underarms can help prevent body odor. Mixing in a couple drops with your shampoo or conditioner can help to treat dandruff and relieve oily hair.

Ornamental Uses: Patchouli is a member of the mint family that grows in a bushy form with erect stems and bears small, pale pink-white flowers.