The Herb Book: The Stories, Science, and History of Herbs

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One place this book stands out is in its coverage og lesser-known but easily foraged medicinal trees. If you want to explore useful medicinals like gingko and mulberry leaf tea, this book is a great place to discover loads more plants you didn’t realize had medicinal uses. Herbs for Children’s Health by Rosemary Gladstar (B) – This beloved herbalist shares recipes and instructions for making herbal remedies for common childhood ailments, offers clear dosing guidelines, and profiles 24 herbs especially suited for children. Advanced Herbalism and Practice This book has step-by-step instructions for making any kind of herbal preparation you could possibly think of. It also explains why you should do certain things, not just how, which is handy to know if you find yourself faced with the need to improvise. The Herbal Medicine Maker’s Handbook is extremely detail-oriented, but still very readable – Green is authoritative while still being lighthearted. A prime example of this is the chapter on herb jellos, an unexpected and surprisingly useful way to prepare herbs for kids – and one that he stumbled on quite by accident! The book also contains a brief overview of 30 plants that he and the other co-directors of the California School for Herbal Studies developed for use as part of the school’s curriculum. They’ve helped me when cold season rolls around with herbs that support the immune system and the best herbs for coughs. I’ve benefited from numerous herbs for sleep and herbs for stress. Clinical Botanical Medicine by Eric Yarnell, Kathy Abascal, and Carol Hooper (A) – Geared toward the clinician, discusses the use of botanicals for a long list of diseases and conditions, and includes information on safety, potential toxicity, and herb-drug interactions.

The Wild Medicine Solution by Guido Masé (I) – With deft clarity, combines concepts from traditional herbalism with history and mythology, modern herbal practice, and modern scientific research to describe how aromatic, bitter, and tonic herbs are uniquely suited to support our physiological wellness; includes recipes. Complete Earth Medicine Handbook by Susanne Fischer-Rizzi (B) – Describes 33 plants of Europe and North America from the traditional folkloric perspective, and includes recipes, lore, and practical uses for the plants.Breast Cancer? Breast Health! The Wise Woman Way by Susun Weed (B) – Offers information in the wise woman tradition for maintaining breast health or for supporting the body after a breast cancer diagnosis, including herbal and dietary therapeutics and lifestyle suggestions.

For a super-helpful introduction to using herbs together with much detailed information, my top recommendation is Rosalee de la Fo rêt’s Alchemy of Herbs. I love her explanation of herbal energetics and the book’s focus on common kitchen ingredients with medicinal properties like ginger, cinnamon, peppermint, and thyme, as well as beloved herbs like chamomile, lemon balm, elder, and tulsi. Alchemy of Herbs includes recipes for soothing teas, nourishing foods, and salves for external use. A must-have for the herbalism book collection! The Wild Wisdom of Weeds: 13 Essential Plants for Human Survival by Katrina Blair (B) – Profiles 13 wild plants “essential for human survival” that grow along with human civilization across the globe; profiles include photographs, botany, habitat, history, edible uses, medical actions, medicinal uses, and recipes. Adaptogens in Medical Herbalism by Donnie Yance (A) – Explores the author’s holistic approach for using adaptogens to support the body’s energy levels and response to stress and as a tonic to support the body’s wellness, includes 60 herbal monographs and custom formulations. As we so often remind our readers and students, learning herbalism is a lifelong journey to be savored and experienced. It is an endeavor to be nurtured with hands-on practice, study with experienced teachers, and learning from the many herbal books written by herbalists of all traditions and approaches, both modern and historical. Medicinal Mushrooms: An Exploration of Tradition, Healing, & Culture (Herbs and Health Series) by Christopher Hobbs (B) – Describes the use of fungi for food and wellness in Eastern and Western cultures and details the benefits of more than 100 species of edible fungi.The updated Peterson Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs includes more than 500 medicinal plants found in east and central North America. ( Another guide covers the western half of the continent.) These compact guides cover more plants than the books above, but in less detail. Holistic Herbal 4th Edition: A Safe and Practical Guide to Making and Using Herbal Remedies by David Hoffmann (B) – A comprehensive, beautifully illustrated guide to over 200 herbs covering harvesting, constituents, preparation, actions, uses, and dosage, as well as herbs for various common ailments.

Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year by Susun Weed (B) – In the wise woman tradition, shares simple and safe herbal support prior to and during pregnancy to ease symptoms and promote health of mother and baby. In addition to information on using herbs, The Homesteader’s Herbal Companion covers choosing and planting, how to preserve herbs, as well as recipes for teas, tinctures, other herbal medicines, and homemade beauty products. Here are some of the best gardening books and permaculture books to consider if you want to grow more of your own medicinal plants. Native Plants, Native Healing: Traditional Muskogee Way by Tis Mal Crow (B) – Teaches how to identify, harvest, and prepare common plants of Eastern North America and how to use them for human ailments; emphasizes the importance of spirit and intent to honor the plants when wildcrafting. Detailed original photography combines with historical and contemporary images to create a compelling visual mix.Herbal Antivirals by Stephen Harrod Buhner (I) – A well-researched guide to using herbal antivirals to build immunity and protect against viral infections; includes detailed plant monographs, herbal preparations, and wellness protocols. Down There: Sexual and Reproductive Health by Susun Weed (B) – Walks through the reproductive body parts (both female and male) and describes their healthy states and common imbalances, then makes herbal, alternative, and allopathic therapy suggestions based on six steps of healing: do nothing, collect information, engage the energy, nourish and tonify, stimulate/sedate; use drugs; break and enter. Culpeper’s Complete Herbal by Nicholas Culpeper (I) – Originally published in 1653 and still in print, details 411 herbs and their uses, remedies, and cautions from Culpeper’s blend of Greek medicine and astrological herbalism. Also available online at Archives.org . Textbook of Natural Medicine by Joseph Pizzorno and Michael T. Murray (A) – Geared for the clinician, discusses both natural and western medical intervention, profiles the pharmacology of 80 herbs and natural agents as well as herb-drug interactions, discusses numerous diseases and conditions and their pathophysiology and therapeutic rationale.

The Herbal Handbook: A User’s Guide to Medical Herbalism by David Hoffmann (B) – Covers the history and practice of various herbal traditions, herbal actions illustrated by applicable herbs, how to use herbs for various body systems/ailments, and how to grow herbs and use them for remedies, cooking, and dyes. This book is crammed full of case histories, herb formulas, full , yet concise descriptions of herbs, their properties and uses, the majority of them illustrated, The Herb Book explains in easy-to-understand languages how you may use Nature's gentle medicines to build a livelier healthier, happier life! The Energetics of Western Herbs: A Materia Medica Integrating Western and Chinese Herbal Therapeutics, vol. 1 (4th Rev. Ed.) and The Energetics of Western Herbs: Vol. 2 (4th Rev. Ed) by Peter Holmes (I) – Comprehensive look at holistic herbalism through the lenses of Chinese and Greek herbal medicine, vitalism, and modern science, with an emphasis on energetics; over 220 thorough and enlightening plant profiles. Herbal Renaissance by Steven Foster (B) – Profiles clearly and in detail the botany, cultivation, harvest guidelines, historical and modern uses, and clinical research of numerous herbs.

6 Herbal Books Worth The Investment

Botanical Medicine for Women’s Health by Aviva Romm (I) – Dr. Romm and several other herbalist contributors integrate traditional herbalism and modern science to describe medical and herbal therapeutics in support of women’s health and common conditions; materia medica includes a plant’s clinical indications and recommendations for safe use. Homegrown Herbs: A Complete Guide to Growing, Using, and Enjoying More Than 100 Herbs by Tammi Hartung (B) – A beautiful book that profiles 101 herbs, describing their habitats, tips for propagation, cultivation and harvesting, and culinary a medicinal uses; and covers garden design, soil building, gardening, making herbal preparations, and cooking with herbs. Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine by Andrew Chevallier (B) – Begins with an overview of herbal medicine and traditions and presents information on 550 plants, including habitat and cultivation, parts used, active constituents, therapeutic properties, uses, and preparations. Nature’s Garden by Samuel Thayer (B) – Details 41 common North American edible plants, from identification and harvest to preparation and use. A Modern Herbal Vol. 1 and A Modern Herbal Vol. 2 by Maud Grieve (B) – Written in 1931 and a beloved classic, presents a fascinating look at herbalism that is a blend of earlier sources like Culpeper alongside the herbal folklore of the British Isles and modern (at the time) science and botany; includes an extensive A to Z compilation of plant profiles. Also available online at Botanical.com .