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Herbal Resources
If the idea of doing herbal research doesn't blow your hair back, it's probably because you don't feel excited about your herbal resources.
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Different sources
It's important to draw from a diverse set of resources when you do any kind of research, and that's very true with herbs, as well.
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Different learning styles
There are a lot of different learning styles. Maybe you prefer audio to text. Maybe you prefer text to video. Maybe you need to try something out for yourself before you really understand it. Whatever your learning style is, there's herbal info out there that I think you'll enjoy.
Whether you're an experiential learner, or you prefer to read about it. Whether you like to work alone or in groups. Whether you prefer a silent library or the chaos of public events. I encourage you to find your own learning style and lean into it.
There are herbal worlds out there to be explored :)
Dive in!
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Herbalists and Earth Keepers
Holistic herbalism sees the inherent interconnection between being an herbalist and being a steward of the Earth. It is simply not possible to be a holistic herbalist without being an earth keeper. We are a part of this earth and so are the plants. The way we treat the earth effects our herbalism. Our herbalism effects the way we treat the earth. Let's just keep this in mind as we check out all the resources here.
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Your own favorite herbal resources
This is the information age. We have boundless sources of herbal information to choose from. Often the trick is weeding through it all and finding what's really useful.
Over time, you'll find your own favorites. Keep an open mind, and take everything with a grain of salt. There's a lot of great stuff out there.
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Let's get started!
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Academic herbal studies
Here are some important public scientific herbal resources you may want to check out...
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HerbMedPro
an interactive, electronic herbal database provides hyperlinked access to the scientific data underlying the use of herbs for health. It is an evidence-based information resource for professionals, researchers, and general public. It is made available by the American Botanical Council.
https://www.herbalgram.org/resources/herbmedpro/
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HerbClip
HerbClip™ provides summaries and critical reviews of seminal articles covering research, regulation, marketing and responsible use of medicinal plants. This database is easily searchable and available to the public for free. It is made available by the American Botanical Council.
https://www.herbalgram.org/resources/herbclip/
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Herb Research Foundation
an independent herbal research library offering both free and paid research services.
Their website:
http://www.herbs.org/herbnews/
HRF information packets available for a small charge (under $10)
Info packets about specific herbs
http://www.herbs.org/herbnews/product-category/information-packets/herbs/
Info packets about herbal uses
http://www.herbs.org/herbnews/product-category/information-packets/uses/
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Public resources used by herbal professionals
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American Botanical Council
The mission of ABC is to provide herbal education using science-based and traditional information to promote responsible use of herbal medicine — serving the public, researchers, educators, healthcare professionals, industry and media. You can join ABC for a yearly membership fee. Membership includes many perks and access to lots of additional herbal resources.
Their website:
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HerbalGram
HerbalGram is an online herbal publication that features articles, research reviews, conference reports, and book reviews on medicinal plants, the history of their use, ethnobotanical and modern clinical research, and legal and regulatory developments regarding the marketing and sale of medicinal plant products. Back issues of HerbalGram are made available online to the public for free.
https://www.herbalgram.org/resources/herbalgram/
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HerbalEGram
HerbalEGram is a monthly electronic publication of the American Botanical Council and is a benefit of membership. All archived issues are available online to the general public for free.
https://www.herbalgram.org/resources/herbalegram/
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Sustainable Herbs Program
a movement supporting high quality herbal products, sustainable and ethical sourcing, and greater overall transparency in how herbs reach end users.
https://sustainableherbsprogram.org/
Public webinars made available by SHP
https://sustainableherbsprogram.org/webinar/
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American Herbalist Guild
AHG is a non-profit, educational organization to represent the goals and voices of herbalists specializing in the medicinal use of plants. Their primary goal is to promote a high level of professionalism and education in the study and practice of therapeutic herbalism.
Their website:
https://www.americanherbalistsguild.com
Upcoming LIVE Public AHG Webinars:
https://www.americanherbalistsguild.com/upcoming-webinars-0
The AHG free public webinar archives
https://www.americanherbalistsguild.com/professional-training-webinars
The AHG list of registered clinical herbalists:
https://www.americanherbalistsguild.com/member-profiles
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United Plant Savers
Their website:
https://blog.mountainroseherbs.com
The United Plant Saver's list of At Risk Plants:
https://unitedplantsavers.org/species-at-risk-list/
Online access to the Journal of Medicinal Plant Conservation:
https://unitedplantsavers.org/journal-of-medicinal-plant-conservation/
Incredible free downloads available on their Publications page:
https://unitedplantsavers.org/publications/
Herbal conservation articles, available for download:
https://unitedplantsavers.org/featured-conservation-articles/
Cultivation resources available for download:
https://unitedplantsavers.org/cultivation-resources/
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Public resources created by some of my favorite professional herbalists
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Linda Black Elk
Her credentials * She is an herbalist, ethnobotanist, and food sovereignty expert. She has generously created tons of public herbal content that can be accessed easily online. Youtube vids, podcasts, interviews, articles, etc. Many of her herbal lessons are available online. I strongly suggest you do some research and see what you find.
A favorite article about dandelion:
https://lrinspire.com/2018/02/28/wild-edibles-traditional-medicine-by-linda-black-elk/
Foraging as an act of resistance:
https://www.robgreenfield.org/lindablackelk/
Her fun and prolific tiktok account:
https://www.tiktok.com/@linda.black.elk?_t=8UdZZe8D2Ny&_r=1
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Rosemary Gladstar
Her credentials * She is the godmother of the US herbal revival that began in the 70s and continues into today. She was a founder of the California School of Herbal Studies, the United Plant Savers, Traditional Medicinals Teas, and so much more. She also brought her fire cider recipe to the herbal community, and it has literally changed history.
Her links:
https://links.rosemarygladstar.com
Fire cider video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU8U0bDmXks
The "save fire cider" movement and its role in protecting the rights of everyone in the US:
https://freefirecider.com/about/
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Chef Zu
His credentials * Chef Zu is a certified herbalist, Holistic Nutritionist, Urban Agriculturalist & Plant Based Chef... and one of my favorite tiktok creators! He offers a variety of products and services through his website. I suggest you check it all out.
His website:
His tiktok account:
https://www.tiktok.com/@kingsapron?_t=8UdbsPi0zhm&_r=1
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Mimi Hernandez
Her credentials * She has been the Executive Director of the American Herbalists Guild, taught undergraduate Ethnobotany at Frostburg State University, and has served as a past President of the North Carolina Herb Association. She is a Registered Herbalist with the Amercian Herbalists Guild and holds a Master of Science degree in Herbal Medicine. She currently stewards the PonderLand native plant sanctuary in the mountains of North Carolina.
You can find many videos, interviews, and articles by and about her online.
For example, check out this amazing video lesson she did about Lemon balm, made available for free online by the American Herbalist Guild:
https://vimeo.com/187065859/6f00e8e13b
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7Song
His credentials * He has been a prolific herbal teacher for decades. He started the Ithaca Free Clinic and the Northeast School of Botanical Medicine. His website is overflowing with free and valuable herbal resources.
His website:
A list of astounding and incredibly valuable herbal articles and resources:
His videos:
https://7song.com/resources/videos/
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Michael Moore
His credentials * He was an herbal author, a well-respected herbal educator, and a lifelong student of medicinal plants. He created a plethora of herbal resources and his generosity with his expertise continues to inform us over a decade after his passing. His website is archaic (it has not been updated since his passing almost 15 years ago,),and at the same time, it is an incredibly powerful and important herbal resource. I suggest you dive in and see what you find.
Various invaluable herb manuals written and/or compiled by Michael Moore:
https://www.swsbm.com/ManualsMM/MansMM.html
A catalog of herbal photographs:
https://www.swsbm.com/Images/JPEGS.html
Michael Moore's guide to Herbal/Medical Contraindications, written in 1995:
http://www.swsbm.com/ManualsMM/HerbMedContra1.pdf
Michael Moore's Herbal Materia Medica, which gives suggested dosages:
https://swsbm.com/ManualsMM/MatMed5.txt
A plethora of other valuable resources you may want to sift through:
https://www.swsbm.com/HOMEPAGE/HomePage.html
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Public herbal information made available by companies selling herbal products
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Please watch out for unsourced blog posts, outrageous herbal claims, and anyone who is selling herbal products. All of these situations signal a high likelihood of offering unsafe or even critically dangerous information. Remember our guiding mindset: Take everything with an open mind and a grain of salt.
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Over the years, I have come across two notable exceptions to this general rule. I'm sure there are more exceptions, but these are the ones I have found:
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The Herb Reference Guide offered by Gaia Herbs
Gaia is a company that creates and sells herbal extracts. In my opinion, their herbal educational information is definitely worth checking out.
https://www.gaiaherbs.com/pages/herb-reference-guide
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Mountain Rose Herbs
They have been a reliable source for top quality herbs and herbal information for decades. I suggest you get on their email list and pay attention to the educational opportunities that come along with it.
Their website:
Their amazing blog:
https://blog.mountainroseherbs.com
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Considering Historical Herbal Texts
🟣an important note about decolonizing our herbalism 🟣
So much of the historical herbal information that we have available to us in Western culture was achieved through the violence and greed of colonization.
It's so important that we decipher this puzzle and recognize the inherent racism and genocide that is interwoven with so much of this historical ethnobotanical information. The collection of this cultural herbal information has, so often, led to the habitat destruction and cultural annihilation that is the calling card of colonization.
We must pay close attention any time we're dealing with English-language herbals that talk about working with the plants of other herbal traditions.
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As an example, let's consider the traditional herbalism of this land that right now is known as North America....
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Finding reliable and ethical information about
the indigenous plants of Turtle Island/"North America"
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Again... most of the historical literature and research material that we have available to us about the plants of North America are steeped in racism, genocide, and habitat destruction.
Personally, I'm no longer interested in learning about Indigenous herbalism from old texts written by white men who had a deliberate hand in the cultural domination of the rest of the world. These white herbal scientists did this with the goal of collecting herbal information from cultures that were facing active genocide from the violence and greed of colonization. It feels decidedly gross and wrong to me, personally, to rely on that information for an understanding of Indigenous relationship with the natural world.
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I would rather look to, and amplify, the voices of Indigenous herbalists who are creating herbal content for us right now 💚 and sharing from the rich herbal histories of their cultures.
Always remember to come to these teaching with a spirit of reverence and respect.
Avoid cultural appropriation by steering clear of closed practices and only study Native herbal teachings from Native herbalists.
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A short list of some of the many contemporary Indigenous herbalists who are creating public herbal content and resources
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Linda Black Elk
As part of her role as an herbalist and an ethnobotanist, she specializes in traditional foods and medicines of the Great Plains, and she is the Director of Food Sovereignty at United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck, ND.
She has created so much important public content for all of us on these topics. I strongly suggest you do a search and investigate it for yourself.
As an example, here is a podcast interview from June 2022.
https://podcast.mountainroseherbs.com/linda-black-elk-tea-talks
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Winona LaDuke
She is a farmer and a passionate activist for the New Green Revolution. She is the former director of the White Earth Land Recovery Project, a Harvard graduate, and a former vice presidential nominee.
Her website:
Check out her wonderful and important projects here
https://winonashemp.com/our-projects
Support the New Green Revolution here
https://winonashemp.com/winonas-artisan-apparel-gifts
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Chef Sean Sherman
Oglala Lakota, from Pine Ridge, S.D.
He is at the forefront of the Indigenous culinary movement and is the founder of the company The Sioux Chef. He is also a co-founder of NĀTIFS North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems which directly addresses the economic and health crises affecting Native communities by re-establishing Native foodways.
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Lisa Iron Cloud
She is the Cultural Foods Manager at Makoce Agriculture Development, which strives to develop Indigenous Agriculture & Food Systems designed to regenerate equitable healthy communities, economies and our environment.
Find Makoce here:
A podcast interview with Red Nation Podcast:
https://soundcloud.com/therednationpod/lakota-foods-w-lisa-arlo-iron
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It's so important that we look to the Indigenous practitioners of any herbal culture or tradition. We can use the same techniques that we used above every time we look to any of the herbal traditions from around the world.
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a brief overview of some Ancient Herbal Traditions from around the world
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Again, when studying these herbal traditions, please find teachers from within that culture, avoid cultural appropriation and closed practices, take special care to protect the ecosystems and communities that bring us these herbs, and always maintain a mindset of respect.
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Ayurveda * Ayurveda is a 5,000-year-old system of medicine originating in India that combines natural therapies with a highly personalized, holistic approach to the treatment of disease.
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Arabic herbal medicine * refined by the Persian herbalist Avicenna, almost 4,000 years ago.
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Traditional Chinese Medicine * A 3,000-year-old very involved and complex holistic system of medicine combining the use of medicinal herbs, acupuncture, food therapy, massage, and therapeutic exercise.
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Japanese traditional medicine * known as Kampo, Japan’s traditional medicine system which has been used for over 2000 years.
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Roma * the Roma people have a very long and well-known relationship with the healing plants of the world.
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There are many different ancient herbal traditions that come from the many nations and cultures of Africa.
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There is extensive herbal knowledge held by the many different cultures and peoples of Central and South America.
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And let's remember that many other living herbal traditions are practiced every single day by people and cultures around the world.
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And, finally, I ask, here, that you take a moment of silence, to consider the inconceivable amount of herbal knowledge and culture that was lost forever to the greed and genocide of colonization. And in this spirit of reverence and respect, I know that we can do so much better for the herbalists of the future.
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Some interesting historical herbals...
from the herbal traditions of Europe and early Western medical herbalism in the US that may be worth your consideration.
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Culpepper's Complete Herbal, originally written in 1652
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The Physiomedical Dispensatory, by William Cook, MD, 1986. Made available online by Paul Bergner and MedHerb at
http://medherb.com/cook/home.htm
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Herbal Simples by W.T. Fernie, MD, published in 1895
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Physio-Medical Therapeutics, Materia Medica and Pharmacy. by Dr TJ Lyle, 1897.
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King's American Dispensatory, Volume 1 and Volume 2, published in 1905
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The Family Botanic Guide, by William Fox, MD., 1924. Made available online by the SWSBM
https://www.swsbm.com/Ephemera/Family_Botanic_Guide-1.pdf
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A Modern Herbal, by Mrs. M. Grieve, originally published in 1931
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Herbal Manual by Harold Ward (1936). Made available online by the SWSBM
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A note from Jenna:
This resource is a work in progress.
Please send any feedback, revisions, or additional resources to me. I would love to check them out, and I'll do my best to incorporate them.
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You can reach me at: jenna@wilddandelion.co
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