If you’re looking to get started with herbalism, there are some great books out there that can help you learn the basics. The books listed below all cover similar topics, such as the history of herbalism, medicinal plants, and their uses, but they are written from different perspectives. Some books take a traditional approach to herbalism, while others are written from a modern, scientific perspective. I’ve included books with varying degrees of complexity to help you explore the subject more in-depth.
Books
1. Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide
In this book, Rosemary explains how to use herbs and make herbal remedies in a very approachable way. Learning a new subject can be very overwhelming for some people, especially something as complex as herbalism. However, Rosemary’s books are encouraging and easy to follow. This book goes over 33 common herbs, how to grow and harvest them, and several techniques for creating herbal remedies.
2. Rosemary Gladstar’s Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health
This book is a bit more complex than the Beginner’s Guide. She includes 175 recipes broken down by age, sex, and ailment/concern. Additionally, the back of the book includes an appendix for herbs, their uses, and herbal remedy guides.
3. The Modern Herbal Dispensatory by Thomas Easley and Steven Horne
The Modern Herbal Dispensatory is a medicine-making guide that includes formulations, dosages, and herbal energetics explanations. The second half of the book includes a list of 235 herbs and their uses. I like this book because it explains more complex recipes, and it has a more scientific approach to herbalism.
4. Wild Remedies by Rosalee de la Foret and Emily Han
This is a wonderful resource for learning how to wildcraft and forage. There is a section on botany, plant identification, and connecting with nature. These elements are a crucial part of herbalism.
5. The Healing Garden By Juliet Blankespoor
Juliet’s love for gardening and plants really comes through in this book. If you are interested in growing your own herbs, I highly recommend The Healing Garden. She explains everything from seed to harvest. The second half of the book includes detailed herbal profiles and recipes.
Other Books I Love
- Iwígara: American Indian Ethnobotanical Traditions and Science by Enrique Salmon
- Making Plant Medicine by Richo Cech
- Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine by Andrew Chevallier
- Herbal Medic by Sam Coffman
- Plant Witchery by Juliet Diaz
