HERBALISM RESOURCES

Updated 4/12/26

Therapeutic Herb Manual, A Guide to the Safe and Effective Use of Liquid Herbal Extracts, by Ed Smith

It’s a good reference to have handy, and was one of the first books recommended to me when I started my herbalism journey. Another good quick reference on commonly used herbs. The focus is on tinctures, as this was written by the founder of Herb Pharm, “Herbal Ed”. This book is no longer in print, and used copies are often sold out on amazon, but you can usually still find it by doing a google shopping search.

Books by Rosemary Gladstar - Rosemary is called the godmother of modern herbalism, and her books are a good place to start on your herbal journey. I adore her fire cider recipes, and there’s a book specifically on fire cider which she is famous for. The link above provides a list of all her books available on Amazon.

The Herbal Medicine Maker’s Handbook, A Home Manual by James Green

This is a great reference for crafting your herbal products and one I frequently refer back to. The focus is more on the various forms of herbal medicine than a reference guide to the herbs. He provides multiple ways to craft each product, which I find helpful for the home apothecary, where your equipment may be limited to what’s in your kitchen.

Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants, by Scott Kloos

This book is focused on wild harvesting, which I have yet to get into (except Spruce tips!), however, he has a section in the book for making herbal medicines that I find to be a handy reference guide, and for crafting remedies in the field with minimal equipment available.

Historical Reference:

For some interesting history on herbalism:

Back to Eden by Jethroo Kloss, originally published 1939.

Culpepper’s Complete Herbal and English Physician (original publishing 1653), I picked up this book at the Annapolis Apothecary Museum and its fascinating to see how plants were used hundreds of years ago, and their apothecary formulations, to cure all kinds of ailments.

Quick Reference Websites:

Botanical Institute: a resource for information about herbs and botanical medicine. Their herb library provides info on benefits, dosing, taxonomy, safety and a reference section with links to studies.

https://botanicalinstitute.org

Learning Herbs

Learningherbs.com - recipes and quick reference for herbs, I frequently search their blog when I start researching a herbal topic or new project.

Herbal Academy herbalacademy.com- They put on an annual free online conference in February that’s worth attending. Good recipes on their site keeps me coming back.

New in Gardening Books:

Ripe Tomato Revolution by Frank Hyman - Saw a presentation from the author, very insightful, this book is scheduled for release March 2026

The Seed Hunter: Discover the World’s Most Unusual Heirloom Plants by Mitch McCulloch. October 2024.

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This website may contain affiliate links. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.