All parts of this tree can be used medicinally. The bark for anemia, the seeds for diabetes and blood pressure, leaves for gingivitis and the fruits for dysentery. The fruit will stain your mouth badly though!

Aloe Vera is full of antioxidants and vitamins that can help heal skin from burns. Here in the tropics it can also help fight off some of the UV rays (but still, use SPF!). Although common in both tropical and semi-tropical places, it originates from the Arabian Peninsula.

An old Indian proverb states “everything good is found in ginger.” Traditional Chinese medicine says that ginger “restores devastated yang”. Is there anything Ginger can’t do, really? Besides its healing properties, ginger also makes a mean cocktail ingredient!

Not just a staple in numerous global recipes- Creole Curry included-Curry is also known to help lower bad cholesterol, prevent infections and help ease diarrhea. Aside from the leaves, the tree’s self-pollinating flowers also produce a seed whose edible berry pulp has a sweet flavor.

Related to both soursop and papaya, the Custard Apple is more than just a delicious treat. Its bark, root and leaves can be used to treat a number of unpleasant ailments, including tooth ache, ulcers and diarrhea.

This oregano-smelling plant is also known as Mexican mint or Spanish thyme. Some of its Ayurveda uses include detoxifying the body, improving skin, and stress relief, and a great cough mixture.

Besides a delicious ingredient for cooking, Lemon Grass has also been said to aid digestion and treat stomach ache, high blood pressure, convulsions, pain, vomiting, cough, achy joints, fever, the common cold, and exhaustion.

There are two components of Nutmeg that are used as spices. The inner seed is sold as Nutmeg while the outer, reddish cover is sold as Mace – Nutmeg’s more subtle sibling. Medicinally, it’s been used to treat pneumonia, nervous disorders, depression and period pain.

Originated in Malaysia, Red Ginger comes in two varieties; the red, named the ‘Jungle King’ and the pink, called the ‘Jungle Queen’. The red bloom may be pretty to look at but the actual flower is the tiny white one on top.

Native to tropical and subtropical North America and Central America, the Red Slipper Spurge loves nutrient-rich soil. Its roots, stems, and leaves are known to be toxic but in folk medicine, tea has been brewed from the leaves to treat asthma, coughing, and even venereal disease.

Native to South America, indigenous tribes of the Amazon would use it as a contraceptive. This plant is also a clever cookie! At night its leaves rise to expose the flowers to dew, and sink down again in the morning to protect them from the sun.

The All-spice berries are dried to become a staple spice in Caribbean, South American and Middle Eastern cuisine. It’s very aromatic with notes of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg & vanilla, hence the French name 'quatre épices', meaning four spices.

This tree was brought here by early settlers and can grow thousands of years old. the leaves are an excellent source of protein, minerals and vitamins A and C and can be used for both condiments and medicines. The trunk can store over 100 000 litres of water and is fire resistant

A member of the coffee family, the ‘Noni fruit’ is a foul-smelling one.Nevertheless,it is healthy, rich in anti-oxidants and containig anti-inflammatory properties, so is commonly used in supplements.

Chewing its leaves can relieve cough while its nuts can treat intestinal worms. Brewing tea from the leaves can also be useful against pimples, fungal skin ailments, hypertension, diabetes, dysentery and diarrhea.

Brought here by the early settlers, the Bilimbi provided shade on a hot day, but is also a staple in local cooking. The fruits are juicy and sour, great with seafood. But it’s a fruit of many uses! Be it as a stain-remover, deodorant, teeth whitening or as a paste for itches or swellings.

Brought in by European navigators in the 18th century, the potato-like Bread Fruit is a firm favourite in Seychellois cuisine, used in curries, as chips and a local dessert called "ladob" (the fruit bats are fans too!). Local legend has it that those who eat breadfruit will always return to Seychelles!

Grown in most home gardens in the Seychelles, Cape Periwinkle is used as a tonic for the whole family. In some parts of the world, it’s even used in the treatment of diabetes. The plant can however be very poisonous if consumed as is, so don’t test your luck!

Its Creole name comes from the Madagascan word ‘Viha’, meaning ‘go away’ or ‘stay away’, perhaps because of the itching caused by its sap. The sap has however been used to treat earache and also cuts.

Both the fruit and leaves from the Kaffir Lime tree are staples in Southeast Asian cuisine. In some Asian countries it’s believed to kill head lice and is also often used in medicine. It’s got a small amount of citronellol which also helps fight off the mozzies.

People have been known to use vanilla as an aphrodisiac (who said vanilla is boring?!). But also to treat intestinal gas and fever. It was a key export of Seychelles since its arrival in 1866, but since the 1960’s it’s grown solely for the domestic market.