Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be another “Hallmark” card holiday about romantic love and gift-buying. It can serve as a great reminder for us to take some time to nourish all aspects of the heart: physical, emotional, and spiritual. Whether you’re focusing on heart-centered relationships, heart health, or opening your energetic heart space, herbal medicine offers a beautiful way to support love, passion, and connection, and yes – even romance and libido!
Let’s dive into some of my favorite heart-supportive herbs, perfect for cultivating warmth, circulation, and sensuality this season.
1. Rose (Rosa damascena, R. centifolia): The Flower of Love 🌹
It wouldn’t be Valentine’s Day without rose! Beyond its intoxicating aroma, rose is a powerful nervine that soothes emotional tension, softens grief, and fosters deep heart healing. It’s also a mild circulatory tonic, helping increase blood flow—important for both heart health and intimacy.
💖 How to use: Sip rose tea, make a heart-opening elixir with honey, or infuse it into a romantic bath.
2. Damiana (Turnera diffusa): The Aphrodisiac Herb 🔥
Feeling a little sluggish in the romance department? Damiana is your go-to! This stimulating herb boosts libido, supports nervous system plus hormone balance, and enhances circulation—especially to those intimate pelvic areas. It also helps relax the nervous system, setting the stage for relaxation and inviting a deeper connection.
💖 How to use: Try a damiana tea or tincture before a romantic evening for a natural aphrodisiac effect. Also powder it and add to foods, it goes great with dips like hummus!
3. Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.): The Heart Protector ❤️
Hawthorn has long been revered as a cardiovascular tonic, strengthening the heart muscle, improving circulation, and supporting balanced blood pressure. But it’s also an emotional healer, helping with heartache, grief, and emotional vulnerability.
💖 How to use: Drink hawthorn berry tea daily or take it as a tincture to nourish both the physical and emotional heart. I also love to make a jam/jelly with it (sub it in for the berries in this recipe).
4. Linden (Tilia spp.): The Gentle Heart Softener 🌿
Linden is like a warm hug in herbal form. This sweet, calming nervine supports heart rate regulation, lowers blood pressure, and helps ease anxiety and stress. It’s a perfect ally for those who feel emotionally closed off or overwhelmed in relationships.
💖 How to use: Make a soothing linden tea for delicious relaxation and heart-centered connection.
5. Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin): The Joyful Heart Healer 🌸
Known as the “Tree of Happiness,” mimosa uplifts the spirit, eases depression, and helps open the heart to joy. It’s an energetic heart opener, making it a great choice for anyone working through grief, heartbreak, or emotional stagnation.
💖 How to use: Take mimosa tincture or flower essence to infuse your days with lightness and love.
6. Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis): The Gentle Nourisher ☁️
I’m referring to the plant, and not the the confection here – Marshmallow is a deeply soothing and moistening herb that supports the cardiovascular system by calming inflammation. It’s also energetically soft and nurturing, helping those who struggle with vulnerability in relationships.
💖 How to use: Make a cold infusion of the marshmallow root (or leaf!), or take it in powder form to soothe the body and spirit.
7. Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca): The Fierce Heart Guardian 🦁
Motherwort is for the lionhearted—those who need courage, strength, and grounding. It’s fantastic for supporting heart palpitations, stress, and nervous tension, while also helping women connect to their divine feminine energy.
💖 How to use: Take motherwort tincture to ease anxiety and strengthen emotional resilience.
8. Night-Blooming Cactus (Selenicereus grandiflorus): The Rhythmic Heart Healer 🌙🌵
This mystical and rare flower blooms only at once a year in the summer, symbolizing the hidden depths of the heart and the beauty of fleeting moments. Traditionally used as a powerful cardiotonic, Night-Blooming Cactus supports irregular heartbeats, palpitations, and circulatory issues. On an energetic level, it encourages us to open up to love, embrace vulnerability, and move with the natural rhythms of life.
💖 How to use: Typically taken as a tincture in very small doses to support the heart, both physically and emotionally.
9. Cacao (Theobroma cacao): The Love Medicine of the Ancients 🍫❤️
No Valentine’s Day would be complete without chocolate, and there’s a reason we instinctively turn to this delicious treat when celebrating love! Cacao, the sacred plant behind chocolate, has been revered for centuries as a heart-opener, aphrodisiac, and mood booster.
Rich in theobromine, cacao gently stimulates the heart, increases circulation, and releases feel-good neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, helping to elevate mood and enhance connection. It was used by the Mayan and Aztec cultures in sacred ceremonies to open the heart and deepen relationships—making it the ultimate love medicine.
💖 How to use: Enjoy ceremonial-grade cacao in a warming drink, sprinkle raw cacao nibs on your favorite treat, or mindfully indulge in high-quality dark chocolate as a heart-opening ritual.
The Heart Beyond the Physical: Electromagnetic & Spiritual Love
Your heart is a beautiful intersection between physicality and spirit. It’s scientifically proven to be not just a pump, but a powerful electromagnetic field that extends up to 10 feet around you! Studies from the HeartMath Institute show that our hearts communicate energetically with those around us. This means that when we work with herbs that support our physical and emotional hearts, we also elevate our vibrational frequency—helping us attract and deepen love in all forms.
Whether you’re focused on self-love, romance, or deepening heart connections, these herbs help align your body, mind, and spirit for more love, vitality, and warmth this season.
Valentine’s Day Herbal Recipes & Rituals
🌹 Heart-Opening Tea Blend:
- 1 tsp Hawthorn berries
- 1 tsp Rose petals
- 1 tsp Linden flowers
- ½ tsp Damiana
- ½ tsp Marshmallow root
- Steep for 15 minutes and sip with intention.
🔥 Aphrodisiac Honey Infusion:
- ¼ cup Damiana
- ¼ cup Rose petals
- Cover with raw honey, let sit for 2-4 weeks, gently strain over a hot water bath (don’t let it boil) and drizzle over your favorite treats.
💖 Self-Love Herbal Bath:
- ½ cup Rose petals
- ½ cup Linden flowers
- ¼ cup Mimosa flowers
- 1 tbsp Epsom salt
- Soak and set loving intentions for yourself.
🍫Spicy Heart-Opening Cacao Elixir:
Embrace the Power of the Heart
This Valentine’s Day, go beyond chocolates and flowers—nourish your physical, emotional, and energetic heart with these beautiful plant allies. Whether you’re calling in romance, strengthening self-love, or supporting heart health, these herbs will be your loyal companions in the journey of love and vitality.
🌿💛 What’s your favorite heart herb? Have you worked with any of these? Let’s talk in the comments!
