There are hundreds of herbalism books available on the market. A quick Google search can be really overwhelming! Especially when the top search results from Amazon and Goodreads seem to be unreliable.
At the start of my herbalism journey, I had no idea where to start. When I tried researching which books to pick to read, I honestly got too overwhelmed to look much into it. I had no idea who to trust! Eventually, as I progressed through my studies. I found many titles that I fell in love with.
In this article, I’ve gathered all of my favorite herbalism titles in one place to share with you. If you don’t know where to start, that’s ok! The books are organized by type and I’ve written descriptions to let you know which I suggest in which situations. Plus, all of the books here are trustworthy, so you can follow your curiosity and pick which books stand out to you!
Beginner’s Herbalism Books
If you’re completely new to herbalism and don’t know where to start, I recommend beginning with these titles. These books are very approachable and easy to understand. Plus, most include recipes to help you start experimenting with herbs yourself.
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer isn’t exactly an herbalism book, but it’s a gorgeous celebration of the plant and human relationship. Not only is it a good book to start your herbalism journey, but it’s also my all-time favorite book.
To begin learning about herbalism specifically, I recommend reading Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs, the grandmother of herbal medicine in the United States, and Making Plant Medicine by Richo Cech. This is where I began. In this book, you’ll get an overview of basic herbal concepts and preparations while learning about some medicinals you probably already have in your kitchen!
Other books on this list include Herbal Revolution by Kathi Langelier and The Herbal Apothecary by JJ Pursell.
General Herbalism Books
When you’re ready to really dive into some herbalism books, these titles are where to start. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the options here, I recommend starting with A Modern Herbal by Margaret Grieve, Body Into Balance by Maria N. Groves, or Iwígara by Enrique Salmón. These are books suggested by most herbalists today. When you’re ready, you can work through the other titles, too.
The other books I’ve included in this list are The Traditional Healer’s Handbook by Hakim G. M. Chishti, Evolutionary Herbalism by Sajah Popham, Energetic Herbalism by Ket Maier, Medical Herbalism by David Hoffmann, Herbalist Visions & Visionaries by Jess Wolf Hardin, The Modern Herbal Dispensatory by Thomas Easley and Steven Horne, and lastly, Materia Medica by Jess Wolf Hardin.
Medicine Making & Recipe Books
There are so many wonderful medicine-making and recipe books available. Overall, the best medicine-making book would have to be Rosemary Gladstar’s Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health. Gladstar has a way with preparations! Every time I follow a recipe of hers, I am very impressed. Her recipes make me excited to make medicine.
I also have an affinity for Herbal Revolution by Kathi Langelier. On a little farm in Maine (my home state), Langelier has her wonderful herb farm and apothecary. Her business, Herbal Revolution, makes many of my favorite herbal products.
The Herbal Apothecary by JJ Pursell, Healing Herbal Infusions by Colleen Codekas, and Rosemary Gladstar’s herbal pocket guide series are also great. Besides Herbs for Long-Lasting Health, there are four more books in the series: Herbs for Natural Beauty, Herbs for Stress and Anxiety, Herbs for Common Ailments, and Herbs for Children’s Health.
The five other herbalism books in this list are books on niche topics. These books include Healing Herbs for Women by Deb Soule, Fire Cider! by Rosemary Gladstar and friends, Herbal Healing for Men by Rosemary Gladstar, Botanical Skin Care Recipe Book by Herbal Academy, and Organic Body Care Recipes by Stephanie Tourles.
Cultural Herbalism Books
When it comes to herbalism books written about practices from particular cultures, there really is seemingly an unlimited supply to choose from. However, the books included in this list are some of my favorites. These books include Native American Ethnobotany by Daniel Moerman, The Yoga of Herbs by David Frawley and Vasant Lad, The Western Herbal Tradition by Graeme Tobyn and friends, The Web Has No Weaver by Ted Kaptchuk, Southern Folk Medicine by Phyllis D. Light, African American Herbalism by Lucretia Vandyke, You Are the Medicine by Asha Frost, Ashkenazi Herbalism by Deatra Cohen and Adam Siegel, African American Fold Healing by Stephanie Mitchem, and The Cherokee Herbal by J. T. Garrett.
Get more information about Black herbalism books by reading this article.
Herb Gardening Books
If you’re ready to start growing your own herbs, then I have a bunch of book recommendations for you. My number one favorite herb-growing book is The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer by Jeff and Melanie Carpenter. Although the book is about farming herbs, it’s still incredibly useful for growing herbs for personal use.
Other herb gardening books that I highly recommend include The Healing Garden by Deb Soule, Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs, The Healing Garden by Juliet Blankespoor, and Growing Plant Medicine by Richo and Sena Cech. For more recommendations, read this article on the best herb gardening books.
Foraging & Wildcrafting Books
Foraging and wildcrafting can be meaningful ways to expand your herbal repertoire. However, it’s important to do it right. The best general foraging book available is Samuel Thayer’s Incredible Wild Edibles. And for foraging for mushrooms, I really recommend Alexander Schwab’s Mushrooming with Confidence. Both books give you id checklists and how to differentiate edibles from toxic look-alikes.
There are three more foraging books that hold a place on my favorites shelf: The Skillful Forager by Leda Meredith, Edible Wild Plants, Mushrooms, Fruits, and Nuts, by Katie Lyle, and The Wild Wisdom of Weeds by Katrina Blair.
Herbal Cookbooks
Cooking with herbs is my favorite way to work with them. When I can make a delicious recipe that’s both nutritive and medicinal, my body is so thankful. My favorite herbal cookbook is Vibrant Botanicals by Jennifer McGruther. Other herbal cookbooks I and other herbalists love include Alchemy of Herbs by Rosalee de la Foret, Wild Remedies by Rosalee de la Foret and Emily Han, Healing Adaptogens by Tero Isokauppila, and The Kosmic Kitchen by Sarah Benjamin and Summer Singletary.
Herbalism Books for Kids
Getting your kids involved in herbalism early will set them up for a healthier lifestyle as they grow older. Plus, studying herbalism with your kids is a perfect way to further your education and bond! My favorite books to teach kids about herbs and plants are A Seed is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston, Shanleya’s Quest by Thomas Elpel, Nature Anatomy by Kristine Brown, A Kid’s Herb Book by Lesley Tierra, and Medicinal Plants Coloring Book by Ilil Arbel. Each book has many stories and activities to do with your kiddo.
Special Topics in Herbalism Books
In this section, I’m placing the rest of the herbalism and land-based healing books I love. Five of these books–Sacred Instructions by Sherri Mitchell, A Cree Healer’s Medicine Bundle by David Young, Robert Rogers, and Russell Willier, Mirrors in the Earth by Asia Suler, You are the Medicine by Asha Frost, and Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer–are not specifically about herbalism. Instead, they are about land-based healing. And all of them except Mirrors in the Earth are written by Native authors.
Both Herbal Constituents by Lisa Canora and Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy by Kerry Bone and Simon Mills are about herbal phytochemistry. In other words, they are about the biochemistry of herbalism. These are considered to be advanced herbal study books.
The last three-Wilderness Medicine by William Forgey, Planting the Future by Rosemary Gladstar and Pamela Hirsch, and Avicenna’s Medicine by Mones Abu-Asab–are some other books that I find interesting and wanted to share with you.
Summary: Herbalism Books
There are many books to help you learn about the world of herbalism. From herbalism books for beginners to gardening to learning with your kids. There are many books to fit your specific interests and needs! If you want even more of the best herbalism book titles, check out my Bookshop. Here, I have a personalized list of herbalism titles I’ve curated over the years. You can also check out this article with all of my favorite botanical books. This article is sort of a dumping ground for all of the book lists I write here on the blog and contains my all-time favorite books.
Have you read any of these books? Do you have any more suggestions for herbalism books? Let me know your thoughts in the comments, I would love to hear from you!
Thanks for reading and happy learning!
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