Herbalism — Cooperative Gardens Commission

Herbalism Resources

Herbs are used for flavor, scent, medicine, fiber, dye, and oil.
The following resources were compiled by CGC’s Herbalism Working Group.

COVID-19 RELATED RESOURCES

Get Radical Boil Roots: A Kitchen Witch’s Guide to Wellness in the Time of COVID-19

Gina Badger @longspellherbs and Friends

A guide that highlights some time-tested, accessible immune-boosting practices, foods, and herbal medicines. Inspired by the kitchen witch’s motto: “the medicine you have on hand is exactly the medicine you need,” this guide was created to help folks design simple protocols to support wellness in the time of COVID-19. Please note that they are *NOT* claiming to know how to treat COVID-19!! They are not medical doctors and this is not medical advice. Rather, as herbalists they are sharing what they know of traditional knowledge, filtered through their own clinical and lived experience, that can support our bodies’ resilience in the face of infectious respiratory illness

Remedies: Plant Allies During the Time of COVID-19

Edited by Jhon Jairo with Multiple Contributors

A guide of information and recipes on immune boosting, respiratory & lung support, antiviral, and mental & spiritual health support

Immune & Respiratory Herbs: A Resource for Tribal Communities During COVID-19

Elise Krohn, Valerie Segrest, Renee Davis, Rhonda Grantham, and Sofie Geist

A guide offering herbal Support during the Novel Coronavirus Outbreak

• General Recommendations

• Immune Tonics

• Medicinal Mushrooms

• Kitchen Herb Remedies

• Herbs for the Respiratory System

• Teas for Immune and Respiratory Health

• Essential Oils for Immune & Respiratory Health

• Calming Our Nervous System

• Finding Medicinal Plants & Harvest Guidelines

• Canoe Journey Herbalists on COVID-19 and Community Care

Resources for Herbalists & Community Workers

Herbalists without Borders

from the document: “Collected articles, links, resources, and more for the current pandemic. This information is not an endorsement by HWB, but a gathering of information available online at this time.” An incredibly thorough gathering of herbal information, especially in regards to this virus.

HERBAL TREATMENT FOR CORONAVIRUS INFECTIONS

Stephen Buhner

Buhner explains the viral replication in the human body as well as symptom manifestation and describes various herbal protocols for treating various stages.

COVID-19 Resources

American Herbalist Guild

A collection of various links, webcasts, and categories of how to deal with Covid 19

Fire Cider Remedy by Rosemary Gladstar

HerbMentor

Herbalist Rosemary Gladstar shares how to make Fire Cider, a cold and flu remedy that she formulated and shared with the world. This is a perfect remedy for someone who needs a fiery kick to his or her immune system. A blend of spicy and sweet flavors were combined to enhance your circulatory and digestive system. Will come in handy for those cold months when you’re prone to sinus infections, or when you feel cold coming on. When you try this warming concoction, you won’t want to go without it! Rosemary formulated this remedy and was the first to call it fire cider, decades ago. Shire City Herbals has unethically trademarked the name and claim it was all their idea. So, why buy it when you can inexpensively make your own fire cider? Special thanks to Rosemary for sharing amazing recipes like this with the herbal community for all to enjoy.

Honey Onion Cough Syrup by Rosemary Gladstar

HerbMentor

Herbalist Rosemary Gladstar shares a simple herbal cough syrup you can make with two ingredients…an onion and honey. It’s the simplest home remedy you’ll ever make

The Herbal Home Remedy Book: Simple Recipes for Tinctures, Teas, Salves, Tonics, and Syrups

Joyce A. Wardwell

Acquire herbal healing wisdom with this guide to gathering, drying, storing, and blending 25 common herbs.

An Herbal Medicine-Making Primer

Simon the Simpler

This zine is an excellent introduction to making your own herbal medicines with plants that you forage yourself in the wild. It features an essay explaining the importance of making our own medicine and then outlines how to make several different types of herbal medicines. These include infusions, decoctions, salves, syrups, infused oils, tinctures, glycerites, etc.

Wild Remedies

Rosalee de la Foret and Emily Han

New book that covers ethical wildcrafting for 25 wild and abundant herbs, with recipes for medicine making and food

Making Plant Medicine

Richo Cech

simple guide to ratios for extract making

Herbal Medicine Makers Handbook

James Green

guide to common preparations, uses for common plants, beginner-friendly!

Bioregional Herbalism:

(Includes Zone and/or Region; also philosophy of Bioregional Herbalism)

Edible Weeds on Farms: Northeast Farmer’s Guide to Self-Growing Vegetables

Tusha Yakovleva + many contributors

Northeast US region; resource guide for culinary “weeds” commonly found on farms and in gardens

Open-source food: Nutrition, toxicology, and availability of wild edible greens in the East Bay

Phillip Stark

region: CA Bay Area, but relevant to any urban area or elsewhere with concern for contaminated soils; toxicology findings of wild edible plants gathered in urban soils

Foraging YouTubers and Online Classes (By Region)

“Eat the Planet”

list of (herbalism, foraging) instructional videos and online courses, categorized by region

Sustainable and Bioregional Herbalism

Juliet Blankespoor

Explanation of sustainable herbal practices and bioregional herbalism, including dos and don’ts for ethical herbal medicine making. Also includes links to more instruction on foraging, growing herbs, sourcing seeds and herbs, etc.

Growing Herbs

(Include Different gardening practices, such as container gardening)

OUTDOOR GARDENING:

Planting a Medicinal Herb Garden

Traditional Medicinals

Great intro on how to plan for your garden, where to get seeds and what plants to begin with.

CONTAINER GARDENING:

Growing Medicinal Herbs in Containers

Juliet Blankespoor, Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine

Good information on which herbs to grow in containers, plants that prefer various soil conditions, types of containers to grow in, etc.

Ethical Foraging

(can include Ethical Purchasing too)

Yellow Dock Plant Identification

Herbal Academy

A video describing how to identify Yellow Dock, Rumex crispus (Polygonaceae), and the use of the Root and Leaves

Nettle Plant Identification

Herbal Academy

A video describing how to identify Nettle, Urtica dioica (Urticaceae), and the use of the Aerial Parts, Seeds, and Roots

Cleavers Plant Identification

Herbal Academy

A video describing how to identify Cleavers, Galium aparine (Rubiaceae)

Dandelion Plant Identification

Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine

A video describing how to identify Dandelion

CSCH Botany Break – Ponderosa Pine

Colorado School of Clinical Herbalism

A video describing how to identify Pinus ponderosa, or Ponderosa Pine

When to Pick What in the Wild

Eldermoon Apothecary

A blog discussing ethical foraging

CalPhotos: Plants

UC Berkeley

A photo database for plant identification

Meet the Plants: An Introduction to Wild Plants

American Herbalists Guild

Gives an introduction to Wild Plants

Reclaiming the Honorable Harvest

Robin Kimmerer at TEDxSitka

Her talk, “Reclaiming the Honorable Harvest: Indigenous Knowledge for a Sustainable Future,” examines ways in which traditional indigenous approaches to the environment and harvest as practiced by the Potawatomi can teach us valuable lessons about healing our own relationship to the living earth.

An Herbal Medicine-Making Primer

Simon the Simpler

This zine is an excellent introduction to making your own herbal medicines with plants that you forage yourself in the wild. It features an essay explaining the importance of making our own medicine and then outlines how to make several different types of herbal medicines. These include infusions, decoctions, salves, syrups, infused oils, tinctures, glycerites, etc.

Botany Everyday

Marc Williams

Introductory botany course by the wonderful ethnobotanist Marc Williams. Offered annually, by donation.

Foraging and Feasting

Dina Falconi

Profiles of edible/medicinal wild plants along with detailed botanical illustrations, recipes, and harvesting protocols. Species relevant across the continent, but weighted toward the Northeast US

Go Botany

Native Plant Trust

Excellent online plant identification (and key) resource for New England/Northeast US region

Foraging and Feasting

Dina Falconi

How-to videos on ethical wildcrafting for food and medicine

Land Stewardship

Wild Wisdom Zine

kuwa jasiri Indomela

Indigenous Sovereignty: One Land Plot at a Time | KQED

KQED

The Sogorea Te’ Land Trust, in East Oakland is an urban Indigenous women-led community organization that facilitates the return of Chochenyo and Karkin Ohlone lands in the San Francisco Bay Area to Indigenous stewardship.

Reclaiming the Honorable Harvest

Robin Kimmerer at TEDxSitka

Her talk, “Reclaiming the Honorable Harvest: Indigenous Knowledge for a Sustainable Future,” examines ways in which traditional indigenous approaches to the environment and harvest as practiced by the Potawatomi can teach us valuable lessons about healing our own relationship to the living earth.

Herbalism in an Age of Mass Extinction, Part One: Context, Concepts and Strategy

Janet Kent

Sweeping discussion of ecologically-minded wildcrafting practices in the age of mass extinction, part one

Herbalism in an Age of Mass Extinction, Part Two: Ecologically Minded Practice

Janet Kent

Sweeping discussion of ecologically-minded wildcrafting practices in the age of mass extinction, part two

New England Farmers of Color Land Trust

Stephanie Morningstar, Çaca Yvaire

“NEFOC is working towards a collective vision of advancing land and food sovereignty in the northeast region through permanent and secure land tenure for POC farmers and land stewards who will use the land in a sacred manner that honors our ancestors dreams – for sustainable farming, human habitat, ceremony, native ecosystem restoration, and cultural preservation.”

Remedy Making - Preservation & Formulation

Herb Infused Honey Tutorial

Herbal Academy

How to make an herbal infused honey

Herbal Honeys & Syrups Tutorial

Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine

How to make an herbal infused honey or syrup

An Herbal Medicine-Making Primer

Simon the Simpler

This zine is an excellent introduction to making your own herbal medicines with plants that you forage yourself in the wild. It features an essay explaining the importance of making our own medicine and then outlines how to make several different types of herbal medicines. These include infusions, decoctions, salves, syrups, infused oils, tinctures, glycerites, etc.

Tincturing The Folk Medicine Traditional Way

Jenn Costa

Explains how to preserve herbs for medicinal uses

Medicine Making

Herbalista

This website is intended to support the craft of the practicing herbalist and help us continue our traditions in healthcare! These guidelines are intended for community herbalists… not manufacturers.

Herbalists Available for Consults & Products

Jen Costa

Woodstock, NY

Jennifer Costa

Offering consults, herbs via apothecary and online herbal education.

Suzanna Stone

Scottsville, VA

Owlcraft Healing Ways

Offering consults, herbs via apothecary and in-person herbal education

Lauren Giambrone

Hudson, NY

Starkville, MS

Son Sand Moon

Offering herbal remedies, some consultations, online herbal education coming soon

Herbalism Resources

Bioregional Herbalism:

Growing Herbs

CONTAINER GARDENING:

Ethical Foraging

Land Stewardship

Remedy Making - Preservation & Formulation

Herbalists Available for Consults & Products

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