10 MEDICINAL PLANTS AND THEIR USES | Infographic. Long before you went to the doctor to get a prescription, people used plants to treat illnesses and heal wounds. In fact, many modern drugs, such as aspirin, are derived from plants, now known as healing plants. "Over time, humans have found many plants are effective for nutrition, for adding spice to foods and also for healing us,” says vice president for botanical science at the New York Botanical Garden, Michael Balick, PhD.
