Herbal medicine is woven into all of our ancestral lines. Though some of us need to look more deeply into the past than others to find it, the thread connects every human being to rich folk traditions and biodiverse landscapes across time and space. Below is a small collection of resources on community herbalism that have helped me to rediscover and nourish these connections, but it's really just a beginning. You can also check out my pages on gardening and permaculture and wildcrafting and wilderness, as these ideas and practices are all intrinsically connected. Happy explorations.
Short Films
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This is another video in KCET's wonderful series on indigenous people's relationships of reciprocity with the land of Southern California. Focused on medicinal plants, it portrays the nuanced understanding of wholeness and connection that underlies the process of healing both land and people.
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I took a class in biodynamics with herbalist Deb Soule at the International Herb Symposium years ago, and absolutely fell in love – truly, I left grinning and starry-eyed with adoration. I hope you can feel something of her passion, gentleness and wisdom coming through in this short video on Rosa rugosa and the many others available on her website.
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Favourite Books
I treasure this lovely book from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew for its beautiful botanical illustrations as much as for its wealth of information and recipes. It's a delight to read and an important overview of 270 healing plants.
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This was one of my very first herbal medicine books and is still one of my favourites. David Hoffman is a wonderful teacher who offers a comprehensive introduction to herbal medicine with the head, heart and hands in mind. His chapter "The Holistic Approach" says it all, and beautifully.
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James Green's handbook is a really thorough introduction to the art and science of extracting medicinal constituents from plants in many different ways. This is another classic that most experienced herbalists will have on their shelf of favourite books.
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This wonderful book brings me back to my blissful year in rural Devon, studying holistic science and rambling through lush hedgerows on long walks to ancient pubs. It's an excellent resource and an important reminder of the free healing and nourishment that ecologically diverse hedgerows have provided to everyday folks for hundreds of years.
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This lovely book on Mi’kmaq medicinal plants has been a classic for years, but is one of my newest teachers. Laurie Lacey shares reflections and stories related not only to the plants themselves, but also to practices of gathering, seeing and listening. I appreciate his emphasis on developing a real relationship with the living land.
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I grew up with Rosemary Gladstar's books in our home, and when I had the chance to study with her in my early 30s it felt like meeting a long-lost, beloved auntie. In this newer book she revisits foundational teachings on growing and using herbs with her enduring warmth, wisdom and pep. This book is one of my highest recommendations for anyone just starting out.
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This collection of Rosemary's timeless recipes is so comprehensive, so informative and so very, very generous – truly the product of a lifetime of study and practice. If you can only buy one book of recipes to care for yourself and your loved ones, let it be this one.
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Deb Soule's 40-year relationship with her healing gardens shines through the pages of this special book. She reveals the garden and the apothecary as a seamless continuum while honouring the spirit of the plants she works so closely with and loves so very deeply.
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This book by the "Queen of Herbs", British gardener Jekka McVikar, is such a lovely reminder that medicinal plants can bring beauty and flavour to everyday life in a thousand different ways. The intricate illustrations by her daughter Hannah McVikar are breathtaking. Pure delight!
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I coveted this book for months before I could get my hands on a copy at a local library. What a pleasure to dive into the rich world of edible and medicinal boreal plants – a reminder that the resilient forests of the north are filled with strength and healing.
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Peg Schafer's fascinating book on growing herbs from the pharmacopoeia of traditional Chinese medicine addresses the serious need to source these plants locally and organically. More regional gardeners producing healthy, high-quality Asian herbs means less pressure on over-harvested forests and depleted soils in other parts of the world. This book is an important and practical contribution to this shift.
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I learned about Jeff and Melanie Carpenter while apprenticing at Rosemary Gladstar's botanical sanctuary in Vermont, and was so inspired by their work to encourage young herb growers. Every garden and farm should include a handful of healing plants, and every community should have a vibrant organic herb farm like theirs.
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