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If you are interested in starting your herbal journey and learning more about the healing properties of plants and herbs, these herbal books are some of the best for beginners.
These books have been part of my herbal collection for a long time now and they’re some of my favorites to reference regularly.
These books contain a lot of information and details, but on a beginner level without getting too technical or advanced. They lay an incredible foundation for solid herbal knowledge and are excellent for every at-home-herbalist to refer to again and again.
My Top 5 Herbal Books for Beginners
Herbal Medicine from the Heart of the Earth by Sharol Marie Tilgner
This book is one of my all time favorites and I reference it regularly!
In the first half, it contains an in-depth Materia Medica, which is a section that goes through an alphabetical list of many different herbs and gives details about each one. It contains information like the dosing, the specific indications, the constituents, the uses, and the safety/contraindications for each herb. I refer to this section all the time when I want to learn more about a specific herb and how to use it!
The second half of this book is broken into body systems and contains information and herbal formulas to assist with ailments of each system.
For example, in chapter on the Urinary Tract System, this book gives a bed wetting formula, a Diuretic Formula, a Kidney Stone Acute Formula, a Kidney Stone Preventative formula, a Kidney Support Formula, a Urinary Incontinence formula, and a UTI Formula.
It’s definitely a great book to have on hand as you’re building your herbal library!
The Modern Herbal Dispensatory by Thomas Easley & Steven Horne
Thomas Easley’s book is a GOLD-MINE of information!
The first half of this book is a “medicine making guide”. It goes in detail about how to make different herbal preparations ranging from tinctures, glycerins, vinegars, poultices, salves, oils, suppositories, etc.
The second half of the book is a Materia Medica that briefly talks about uses, safety and dosing for hundreds of different herbs.
I love referencing the Materia Medica of this book. The first half is perfect for those wanting information on how to make their own herbal medicine.
Thomas Easley owns his own herbal school and is an herbalist that I respect. Highly recommend his book.
Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health by Rosemary Gladstar
Any book by Rosemary Gladstar is sure to be a winner – she’s such a matriarch in the herbal word and full of wisdom and knowledge.
I love this book because it is clearly laid out and contains lots of information (not just recipes). It’s broken down by sections of a family. There’s a chapter for Home Remedies for Everyday Ailments, a chapter for Recipes for Radiant Beauty, a chapter Children, for Women, for Men and for Elders. In each chapter there is a lot of information as well as herbal remedies and recipes for ailments and conditions affecting the specific category!
Here is a sample page in the children’s section:
The information provided in each section is really valuable but also phrased in a way that it’s easy to read and understand.
The recipes also call for simple herbs that are relatively easy to find if you’re in the United States.
Definitely add this book to your herbal library if you want something that contains lots of recipes for everyone in the family!
Healing Herbal Teas by Sarah Farr
Healing Herbal Teas is a book that I got for Christmas one year and after reading through it, I became so impressed with how many recipes it contains.
The recipes are broken down into 3 chapters: Tonics for Holistic Health, Remedial and Medicinal Teas, and Seasonal Teas. I love the Seasonal teas section because it gives so many ideas for yummy tea for every part of the year including a Sun Tea, several chai’s, and a warming “woodsman” tea.
If you’re a big tea drinker and are interested in blending your own loose leaf tea, I think you will love this book!
Wild Remedies by Rosalee De La Foret and Emily Han
Foragers! This is the book for you!
But honestly, even if you aren’t interested in foraging, this is still an incredible book to have on hand. It’s broken down by seasons and each section contains a chapter about the herbs that are easy to find and wildcraft during that season.
In the Spring Section, there is a chapter on Chickweed, Dandelion leaf and flower, Wild Mustard, Nettle, Plantain, and Violet. Each chapter contains beautiful diagrams and pictures of the plant, information on how to identify and harvest it, uses and remedies with it, and several recipes to create with it.
Even if you aren’t interested in foraging, this book still contains lots of information about many different kinds of herbs. Each herb gets it’s own chapter, so you can always purchase the herbs dried and create the recipes from the book.
I reference this book so often during the spring or whenever we go on nature walks. I think it’s a must-have for a beginner herbalist’s library.
That concludes my list of some of the best herbal books for beginners! If you’re interested in reading more on my blog, be sure to check out the following article below:
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Hey, I'm Victoria!
I'm so glad you're here, sweet mother!
My goal is to inspire you to remember your primal roots & live a WILD life in alignment with nature. On my blog I empower you to use herbs and natural remedies to keep your family healthy, teach you how to eat a nourishing, traditional foods diet, and inspire you to raise your babies consciously and respectfully.
