Top 10 Most Informative Books for Learning Herbal Medicine
What are the most informative books to start learning about herbs? That is such a common question among herbal newcomers (myself included) that I figured I would write a quick post listing the top 10 most recommended books to start your journey into herbalism.
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You can find so much information online, but there is something really comforting about flipping through a book and knowing it is just there if you need it. Honestly, I think sometimes with how dependent we are on technology that maybe I should invest in some more informative books just in case sh*% hits the fan one day and I need some information.
Anyways, back to the task at hand. The books I am listing come highly rated and highly recommended by many herbalists and plant lovers alike. Let’s get started with our top 10 most informative books to learn plant medicine, shall we?
This is probably one of her most recommended books and for good reason. Rosemary teaches a lot in her books. They are easy to understand and quite simple to implement her teachings. She has such a sweet and kind demeanor and it comes across nicely in her books. She has a deep passion for nature and her books can be really inspiring to add more plants into your life. This book is also quite informative as well. Needless to say, she takes 2nd and 3rd on the list along with an honorable mention at the end.
This book is for all females young and not so young. She offers natural healing remedies for many common female ailments. So many healing plants with accompanying remedies that are relatively simple to make to keep on hand for the many issues that arise throughout life as a woman. This is a great book for beginner herbalists or any level herbalist for that matter looking to specialize in the female body systems.
This book, obviously similar to the above, just designed for males and strengthening their health through the use of medicinal plants. She offers a lovely combination of images, easy-to-follow recipes and unbelievable knowledge. She also discusses how there are plants that are specific to men’s health and how to incorporate those plants for health and longevity.
This is a very comprehensive guide to medical herbalism. David Hoffman has an amazing reputation in the community of herbalism. This is an in-depth guide that will teach you every aspect of plant medicine and how it affects the body. He discusses the physiology of the human body, extensive details about each herb and how it will affect the body along with a wealth of other information. If you choose only one book to purchase to help you learn about the practice of herbal medicine, this would be a good choice.
Lena discusses not just how to use specific herbs, but also how to grow and/or forage specific plants as well. This is another pretty comprehensive book on how to treat common ailments with plant medicine. This book gives detailed characteristics of the most important medicinal plants, how to use them, their history and even the correct dosage for your ailments. She also offers many different recipes for health, anti-aging and longevity. This is a fun book to read through and learn a lot.
This book is currently on my list of books to read. It is highly recommended by many herbalists from beginner to experienced. It actually has quite high ratings through Amazon too, if you are one to read through reviews. Either way, this is one of the top-rated books for beginner herbalists, so you may want to give it a whirl.
James Duke does a phenomenal job at describing practical ways to incorporate plants into your daily life. He is thorough but easy to follow and easy to read. He does explain in detail how to use herbs for healing, however, his main focus areas are tea and culinary. If you are looking at making more salves, tinctures and infusions you may want to opt for one of the other books on the list and save this for another time.
This is a fun book to read for anyone looking to adopt more of a modern homesteader’s type of lifestyle. They share quite a few different recipes for salves, tinctures, infusions and even culinary recipes. If you have livestock, they share some tips for them too. This is an easy-to-read, informative and enjoyable book that I highly recommend. It’s one of my favorites on this list.
I have just recently ordered this book and I am really looking forward to starting it. I love the idea of medicine making with tinctures, teas and salves, but cooking with herbs is a nice change of pace for me and maybe for a lot of you too. I have listened to podcasts where Rosalee has been the guest speaker and she is extremely knowledgeable. She shows you how to transform food into culinary medicines that heal and strengthen the body.
I thoroughly enjoy this book. It is just a really comprehensive and beautifully written guide to incorporating herbs for health and wellness. She offers many different recipes that are easy to add to your day-to-day life to increase energy and help your body and mind deal with everyday stressors. If you are new to herbs and especially adaptogens, she will leave you inspired to add them into your daily routine and have fun in the process.
A few honorable mentions that didn’t make the top 10, but still deserve a place on the list:
- Rosemary Glastar Herbs for Children’s Health: How to Make and Use Gentle Herbal Remedies for Soothing Common Ailments
- Rosemary Gladstar Herbs for Natural Beauty: Create Your Own Herbal Shampoos, Cleansers, Creams, Bath Blends and More
Well, that about sums up our 10 best books for beginner herbalist list. Yikes, that’s a tongue twister! I hope this helps provide you with a nice starting point to lessen some of those feelings of overwhelm. Happy reading and I wish you all health and wellness.
Thanks for reading!
[…] them into your life, there are some amazing books that will help you along the way. I have a recent post that may be helpful in deciding which books to begin […]