Professional Documents
Culture Documents
How To Start Your Herbal Career
How To Start Your Herbal Career
The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment. Please consult
your medical care provider before using herbal medicine, particularly if you have a known medical
condition or if you are pregnant or nursing.
You are responsible for your own health. As with conventional medicine, herbal medicine is vast and
complex and must be used responsibly. People react differently to different remedies. Some herbs are
contraindicated with certain pharmaceutical drugs. Further, some helpful herbs may be confused with
harmful and/or deadly substances.
There are many plants and mushrooms that can make you sick or are deadly poisonous. Be 100%
positive of your identification before you harvest any plant or mushroom. Additionally, sometimes a
new food, even properly identified, can cause an unusual reaction—ranging from gastric intolerance
to a full-blown allergy. It is your responsibility to make sure you are harvesting the correct plant
or mushroom, and it is your choice to try any new food. We cannot be responsible for incorrect
identification or reactions to plants or fungi.
You are responsible for your own choices. This includes but is not limited to the ingestion, application,
or other use of alcohol or any poisonous, toxic, or allergenic substance. In the event that you are
not of legal age to consume alcohol, the School recommends that you refrain from the purchase,
consumption, or use of alcohol. If you elect to disregard such recommendation, you do so at your own
risk, and the School accepts no liability relating to or arising from your activities.
The School cannot predict how a remedy will work for you. Always refer to your medical care provider
for questions about your health.
We created this guide because we know firsthand just how challenging it can be to find your way in the
herbal world and become an herbalist. You might have read conflicting accounts on legalities and herbal
certification, and perhaps you’re confused about what exactly is needed to set up shop. Maybe you’re at the
very beginning of your herbal education and don’t even know where to start or whom to trust.
This guide is exactly what I would have loved when I first embarked on my herbal adventure. Like many
herbalists, my educational path wasn’t always clearly marked, and it involved plenty of meandering. Grow-
ing up in the suburbs, I didn’t know anything about healing plants and could barely tell a daisy from a
dandelion. When I went off to college, I promptly caught the “herbal bug” and started learning about me-
dicinal plants through my botany studies. I was hungry for more herbal knowledge but didn’t quite know
where to turn. You see, there was NO INTERNET! After earning my degree in botany, I decided to go to
herbal school but had NO idea what my options were. In the back of an herbal magazine, I read about a list of
schools one could receive in the mail upon sending a dollar bill and a self-addressed envelope. I found my first
herbal school that way and continued to learn about schools, gatherings, and books mostly by word of mouth.
Fast-forward twenty-five years and it’s humbling to see how many herb books, blogs, podcasts, and YouTube
channels now exist. While I find this herbal abundance to be inspiring, it can present another problem: wading
through the sources to find ones that you can trust. There are too many beginner-turned-experts out there
sharing their newfound knowledge, which can unfortunately be inaccurate or incomplete. To remedy this issue,
we’ve compiled a list of our favorite resources that we personally turn to and can wholeheartedly recommend.
That said, with a work of this scope, we’re bound to overlook a resource we actually love. Additionally, we
welcome the invitation to explore resources we might not be familiar with. Please send us an email at support@
chestnutherbs.com to recommend yourself or a trusted resource.
We hope this guide shines a light on your herbal path, and we look forward to seeing where it takes you!
Warmly,
Juliet Blankespoor
& the entire Chestnut School team
Part One
how to start your herbal career
1. Getting an Herbal Education..... 7
2. Herbalist Careers..... 15
3. Herbalist Legalities in the United States..... 23
4. Herbal Schools.... 31
Part Two
herbal resources guide
5. Herbal Organizations & Publications..... 40
6. Herbal Conferences..... 41
7. Our Favorite Herbal Books..... 44
8. Our Favorite Online Resources for
Learning About Herbs, Wild Foods & Foraging..... 61
9. Recommended Tools & Herbal Supplies..... 76
10. Sources of Bulk Herbs, Medicinal Mushrooms
& Essential Oils..... 81
11. Recommended Herbs to
Start Your Apothecary..... 88
12. Herbal Resources from the
Chestnut School Archive..... 90
Part One
HOW TO START
YOUR HERBAL CAREER
You can be deeply certain, and slightly doubtful.
You can be scared, and really, really ready.
dan i elle la porte
most of us get our first taste just the tip of the iceberg—herbal studies can include
of herbalism informally— botany, medicine making, wild plant identification,
by coming across an interesting herbal book, foraging and wildcrafting, nutrition, anatomy and
experiencing a health issue we want to heal naturally, physiology, herb cultivation, business ethos, culinary
or feeling the pull of a particular plant. For many of herbalism, wild foods, and more. Getting an herbal
us, this initial brush with herbs is just the beginning, education that’s tailored to your interests is often the
and is followed by a yearning to soak up everything we first big step toward becoming an herbalist, and there
can about herbal medicine! The herbs themselves are are plenty of ways to learn.
to n i
mor r iso n
Herbal Apprenticeship
In lieu of (or in addition to) any formal studies, you I encourage you to “try on” any work you might be
can seek out an apprenticeship with an herbal mentor interested in by apprenticing or working in the field.
you admire. This is the traditional way to study Let’s say you want to start a medicinal plant nursery
herbalism, and though it’s not for everyone, it can or an herbal CSA (also called community-supported
provide valuable insight into the nuances of running agriculture). Find a nursery or farm to apprentice
an herbal business, working with clients, making with one summer. Not only will you learn the tricks
medicine, and building relationships with healing of the trade, but you’ll also discover whether you truly
plants. It’s imperative that you know the terms of enjoy the work. If you don’t have a whole season to
trade and/or money exchange before embarking spare, consider volunteering or shadowing someone
on an apprenticeship so everyone knows what is who works in the field for a week. Additionally,
expected. Be extremely clear! For example, find out many business owners are willing to offer advice and
how many hours a week you’ll work and what you’ll assistance if you ask. Consider contacting people
receive in compensation (mentorship, class time, who work in a similar field but in a different area,
money, goods, etc.). I also recommend a trial work who wouldn’t be considered possible “competitors.”
period with the teacher to see whether your styles,
personalities, and goals are complementary.
Herbal Research
• University or government-funded research on • GMP testing in a product-based business
medicinal herbs, constituent testing, clinical • Quality control in a product-based business
trials, population studies, etc.
• Ethnobotanical research on traditional uses of
herbs
Everything is figureoutable.
m a r i e fo r l e o
• Bastyr University
• Hill College
• Maryland University of
Integrative Health
• Vermont Center for Integrative
Herbalism (in Partnership with
Goddard College)
Students learning plant identification on an herb walk at the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine
You have many options when it comes to choosing an herb school—but, of course, we’d love for you to study
with us and join our amazing online community! If you do decide to explore our programs, you can choose from
our 150-hour Online Herbal Medicine Making Course, our 1,000-hour Online Herbal Immersion,
and our 375-hour Online Foraging Course. Above all, we wish you luck in finding your herbal niche!
Online Programs
• American College of Healthcare Sciences
• Atabey School of Cultural Healing*
• Blessed Maine Herb Farm School
• Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine
• David Winston’s Center for Herbal Studies
• Eclectic School of Herbal Medicine
• Green Path Herb School
• Heart of Herbs Herbal School
• Herbal Academy of New England
• Herbal Freedom School BIPOC Communiversity*
• Herbal Medicine for the Soul Mentorship* +
• Herbal Medicine for Women
• Joie Power’s Aromatherapy School
• La Mala Yerba*
• LearningHerbs
• Living Awareness Institute
• Medicine Lodge Ranch
• Maryland University of Integrative Health
• Natural Choices Botanica School of Herbalism
and Holistic Health*
• The School for Aromatic Studies
• North American Institute of Medical Herbalism
• Sacred Vibes Healing: The Art and Practice
of Spiritual Herbalism*
• Rosemary Gladstar's The Science & Art of
Herbalism
• SANKOFA: Reclaiming Healing Traditions
of the African Diaspora*
• School of Evolutionary Herbalism
• Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
• The Bellebuono School of Herbal Medicine
• Wild Ginger’s Online Herbal Medicine Course
• Xálish Earth Medicines*
Juliet and students on a school camping trip at the Suwannee River in Florida
In-Person Schools
• Acorn School of Herbal Medicine • Botanologos School for Herbal Studies
(Nevada City, CA) (Clayton, GA)
• Adiantum School of Plant Medicine • California School of Herbal Studies
(Seattle, WA) (Sonoma County, CA)
• Ancestral Apothecary School* (Oakland, CA) • Cedar Mountain Herb School
• Appalachian Center for Natural Health (Bothell, WA)
(Arab, AL) • Centro Ashé (Bryans Road, MD)
• Arctos School of Herbal and Botanical Studies • Columbines School of Botanical Studies
(Portland, OR) (Eugene, OR)
• Ayurvedic Institute (Albuquerque, NM) • Colorado School of Clinical Herbalism
• Bastyr University (Seattle, WA) (Boulder, CO)
• Bellebuono School of Herbal Medicine • David Winston’s Center for Herbal Studies
(Martha’s Vineyard, MA) (Broadway, NJ)
• Blessed Maine Herb Farm School (Athens, ME) • EarthSong Herbals (Marblehead, MA)
• Blue Otter School of Herbalism (various locations) • Eclectic School of Herbal Medicine
• Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine (Low Gap, NC)
(Asheville, NC) • Farmacy Herbs (Providence & West Greenwich, RI)
Farmacy Herbs
(Providence, RI)
Herbal Residency Program
Hawthorn Institute
(Ashland, OR)
Advanced Clinical Training
Hill College
(Hillsboro, TX)
Holistic Wellness Pathway within the Associate of
Science Biology Major
We’re fortunate to have access to some and aims to preserve and develop the science and art
excellent herbal publications that address everything from of herbal medicine.
clinical research to social justice to classic folk herbalism.
Plant Healer Magazine Plant Healer is the
Selecting one or a few publications to read regularly will
paperless quarterly journal of the new folk herbalism
keep you on the up-and-up with evolutions and exciting
resurgence—a downloadable, beautifully illustrated,
events within the field. And it may just inspire a new
full-color PDF magazine. An annual, condensed
herbal career or an unexpected alliance.
printed version is also available.
American Botanical Council The ABC publishes
United Plant Savers The mission of UpS is to
HerbalGram quarterly, which focuses on the herbal
protect native medicinal plants of the United States
industry and medical herbalism. Their website
and Canada (and their native habitat) while ensuring
has many searchable databases related to scientific
an abundant, renewable supply of medicinal plants
research on medicinal herbs.
for generations to come.
American Herbalists Guild AHG is an association
The Herb Society of America The HSA is dedicated
of herbal practitioners. Membership includes many
to promoting the knowledge, use and delight of herbs
educational benefits. They also host an annual
through educational programs, research, and sharing
conference held in a new location each year.
the experience of its members with the community.
Medical Herbalism As you might surmise, this
publication is geared toward the clinical practitioner
Lake Eden, North Carolina—the former event site for the Southeast Wise Women Herbal Conference
NOLA Herb Gathering A conference embracing self Traditional Roots Herbal Conference
care as health care through the intergenerational and An annual herbal conference based in Portland,
cultural uses of herbal and plant medicine. Oregon, that features clinical tradition and modern
scientific research; draws excellent herbal speakers.
Southeast Wise Women’s Herbal Conference
A much-loved herbal gathering held each fall in Black Ylang Ylang Herbal Gathering An annual week-
Mountain, North Carolina. long exploration of cosmology, people, plants, land,
liberation, birth, and beyond in Costa Rica.
Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of *American Herbal Products Association’s Botanical
Herbal Medicine Safety Handbook, 2nd Edition
by David Hoffmann by Zoë Gardner and Michael McGuffin
This is a textbook-style reference with sizable sections This is the most comprehensive and detailed guide to
on plant chemistry, body systems, herbal actions, and botanical safety and herb-drug interactions. A must-
medicinal profiles. have for clinical herbalists.
*The Eclectic Materia Medica, Pharmacology, and Essential Guide to Herbal Safety, Revised Edition
Therapeutics by Simon Mills and Kerry Bone
by Harvey Wickes Felter, MD
Another good handbook on herbal safety, though not
Classic eclectic physician materia medica. Available as detailed as the AHPA's Botanical Safety Handbook,
for free online at the Southwest School of Botanical listed above.
Medicine website.
Herbal Medicines, 3rd Edition
*American Materia Medica, Therapeutics, and by Joanne Barnes, Linda Anderson, and J. David
Pharmacognosy Phillipson
by Finley Ellingwood, MD
A comprehensive source of scientifically rigorous,
Classic American materia medica. Available for impartial information on over 150 of the most
free online at the Southwest School of Botanical commonly used herbal medicinal products. Be sure
Medicine website. to get the latest edition, as this research is always
expanding. Very scientific!
Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy: Modern
Herbal Medicine, 2nd Edition *Herbal Formularies for Health Professionals,
by Simon Mills and Kerry Bone Vol. 1: Digestion and Elimination, including the
A thorough desk reference that covers traditional and Gastrointestinal System, Liver and Gallbladder,
scientific herbal materia medica, including herbs for Urinary System, and the Skin
specific diseases and some case histories. Midlevel to by Jill Stansbury, ND
advanced. Thorough discussion on pathology and herbal
treatment for a variety of conditions. Well referenced.
Highly recommended for clinical practice.
*Botany in a Day: The Patterns Method of Plant Photographic Atlas of Botany and Guide to Plant
Identification Identification
by Thomas J. Elpel by James Castner
A botanical classic and best seller that has a place Easy to read, with detailed color photographs that
on every forager’s shelf. Elpel shares what he calls illustrate plant family characteristics, this guide is
“the Patterns Method” of plant identification, a fast perfect for those who are really excited about botany
and easy way to begin recognizing the key traits of and plant identification. The book is spiral-bound
various plant families. This tutorial has helped more and quite hefty, so it’s more of a desk reference
budding botanists, herbalists, and foragers than any than an actual field guide. Some of the plant family
other identification guide I know! Elpel also features classifications are out of date, but the general botany
descriptions of plant families throughout North photos are still applicable, as is the bulk of the plant
America, along with profiles of notable members family photographs and descriptions.
from each family, including comments on edible and
Plant Identification Terminology: An Illustrated
medicinal uses. Highly recommended. Be sure to
Glossary
purchase the most recent edition.
by James Harris and Melinda Woolf Harris
Flowering Plant Families of the World An excellent reference for those studying botany or
by V. H. Heywood wanting to use technical keys in the field, this guide
A beautiful book for the coffee table or reference clearly illustrates nearly two thousand botanical
library, this hardcover classic is filled with gorgeous, terms!
scientifically accurate illustrations and range maps
A Tour of the Flowering Plants
for over five hundred plant families throughout the
by Priscilla Spears
world. Make sure to purchase the 2007 edition.
Filled with high-quality color photographs, this is
a wonderful reference for those who prefer visual
learning. The author illustrates and explains over
a hundred flowering plant families and includes a
botanical glossary to help the beginner get started.
Mushrooms Demystified
by David Arora
A classic; thorough and full of technical keys and
excellent descriptions. A tad of a West Coast bias, as
the author is based out of California. Not a beginner’s
guide.
A Radicle
Clinical Herbalism • Herbal Research
Wendy Petty is a writer, cook, and wild foods consultant Hunter Angler Gardener Cook
in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado who serves up a West Coast • Foraging
blog on what I think of as feral comfort food. Think: A well-written and nicely photographed blog by
yucca flower quesadillas and acorn mole sauce. Her Hank Shaw, a West Coast forager and hunter whose
cooking is creative, and she integrates wild ingredients theme is “honest food.” In other words, he gathers
into simple meals that make wild foods accessible and and eats the most ethical, local, and whole foods he
exciting to both beginners and experienced foragers. can find. His writing is thorough, and he shares how
She shares a motherload of recipes on her blog, which to identify, sustainably gather, and prepare a wide
you can search alphabetically by clicking on the menu range of temperate wild greens, mushrooms, nuts,
icon in the upper-left corner and then scrolling down and vegetables. And as the name implies, this blog is
to select "Labels." about more than wild plants—you’ll find recipes for
wild fish and game as well. If you like what you see,
Hank also has a great podcast called Hunt Gather
Talk.
The delicious blog of Felicia Cocotzin Ruiz, a A YouTube channel with loads of engaging videos on
curandera, indigenous foods activist, and natural learning about the wild food and medicine growing
foods chef. Her blog features loads of glorious herbal all around us. There’s an emphasis on mushrooms,
and wild foods recipes. but plenty of wild fruits, vegetables, and herbs
are included. The channel is hosted
Kiva’s Enchantments
by Adam Haritan, a Pennsylvania-
Southwest • Herbalism • Wild Foods • Foraging
based forager.
The wild, weedy blog of Kiva Rose, a splendid
Maia Terra
writer and folk herbalist who has published a
Midwest • Herbalism • Gardening
phenomenal number of articles on traditional
herbalism, wild foods, foraging, and weedivory. Alyson Morgan's beautiful, mouth-
You’ll find fantastic herbal monographs, watering blog on herbalism, healing
personal stories, clinical wisdom, wild food, low waste homemaking,
musings, and wonderfully creative recipes conscious mothering, organic
on her site. I recommend using her Post gardening, and storytelling
Index to search for articles by theme. activism in search
Kiva lives in the Gila Wilderness of a slow, wild +
of New Mexico and is a recipe wholehearted
contributor in our Online life.
Foraging Course—sharing her
rambunctious take on wild,
herbal soul food.
Southwest • Pacific Northwest • Rocky Mountain • An excellent collection of videos on medicine making,
Foraging • Herbalism herbal materia medica, aromatherapy, plant walks,
herbal folklore, and recipes. Features some noteworthy
Michael Moore was one of the herbal greats of our
guest speakers.
time (and one of Juliet’s primary herbal teachers), and
he’s left behind a wonderful online legacy, where many Natural MD Radio
of his tongue-in-cheek teachings are now available for Women’s Natural Health
free. If you’re a serious student and can handle the A weekly women’s health podcast hosted by Aviva
screen time, his Herbal Materia Medica (available Romm—a medical doctor, herbalist, and midwife.
through this link) is highly recommended. He’s also Topics include children’s health, vaccines, stress,
the author of a number of books that are invaluable supplements, and sexuality, but the focus is on a wide
for herbalists and foragers in the Southwest, Pacific range of women’s health issues and how to address
Northwest, and Rocky Mountain regions of the them with natural therapies. Highly recommended.
United States.
Northeast School of Botanical Medicine
Mountain Gardens Northeast • Foraging • Materia Medica
Southeast • Herb Gardening • Herbalism
The blog of dear friend, teacher, botanist, herbalist,
Joe Hollis’s YouTube channel shares an incredible and comedian 7Song. This generous guy shares his
collection of videos on wild woodland and meadow teaching handouts online, which include spring and
medicinals (alongside other Western and Chinese fall wildcrafting lists for the northeastern United States,
herbs that can be cultivated in the garden). Mountain plus a review of botanical field guides for much of the
Gardens is Joe’s home and a botanical paradise country by region. His blog features detailed plant
featuring the largest collection of native Appalachian monographs (with identification), tales of his travels,
and Chinese medicinal herbs in the eastern United and lots of writings on first-aid herbalism. 7Song is
States. Joe sells plants and seeds, shares a self-serve the director of the Northeast School for Botanical
library and herbal apothecary, and offers plenty of Medicine and the Ithaca Free Clinic in Ithaca, New
incredible classes, which you can check out here. York. He hosts an apprenticeship program through
Joe is one of the instructors in our Online Herbal his school and takes students on service-based trips
Immersion. throughout the country and abroad. He is also an
Mountain Rose Herbs Blog instructor in our Online Herbal Immersion.
DIY Herbalism • Herbal Recipes Numen Film
One of our favorite herbal suppliers also has a Sustainable Herbs
wonderful blog—featuring medicine making and This is the blog for Ann Armbrecht's Sustainable
natural body care recipes, herb harvesting tips, plant Herbs Project. The Sustainable Herbs Project is an
profiles, DIY herbal projects, and so much more. online multimedia project dedicated to educating
Todd’s writings blend herbalism, Ayurveda, and I love the thorough and botanically well-informed
nutrition for a big-picture look at how we can nature of this blog, written by Abe Lloyd. Abe lives in
address health concerns. Todd is a medical herbalist, the Pacific Northwest and writes about the plants of
practitioner of Ayurveda, and executive director of that bioregion (many of which also grow throughout
the Dogwood School of Botanical Medicine. the temperate world). His articles share wonderful
information on identifying edible plants and berries,
Way of the Wild Heart
accompanied by vivid photographs, indigenous uses,
Herbalism • Materia Medica
and preparation suggestions. Abe has a master’s degree
The beautifully written blog of Gail Faith Edwards, an in ethnobiology and has been foraging wild foods for
elder community herbalist and founder of the Blessed the past decade.
Maine Herb Farm. Gail’s writings weave together myth,
Wildman Steve Brill
history, and plant-based wisdom—they seem to come
Wild Foods • Foraging
from a dreamier, more unhurried era. She is the author
of Opening Our Wild Hearts to the Healing Herbs. One of the wild godfathers of modern foraging,
The supplies listed below are ones that idea of the tool. You may be able to find many of these
we’ve found useful after many years of gardening and items locally at a kitchen store, nursery, garden supply
making medicine. We don’t receive any compensation store, or big-box store. Depending on your budget
for our recommendations. We’re sharing product links and interest, you may opt to get creative and make
for the sole purpose of showing you certain tools! use of the tools you already have.
Please note that in most cases we are not specifying
the exact make, model, or seller but rather the general
Tincture Making grater that you use only for beeswax. Remember
this general rule: once for beeswax, always for
• Amber glass bottles of various sizes—Usually beeswax!
sold as “Boston Rounds”—with both polyseal
caps and droppers. • Double boiler (or you can fashion one by nesting
a small pot inside a larger one, fitted with mason
• Alcohol (or glycerin if you’re alcohol-free) jar rings)
people, but you may want to go to the store and try trouble keeping track of a water bottle or keys (you
some out before purchasing, especially if you have easily misplace objects), you may want to paint the
large or small hands. Pruners are the tool I use most handle red, as digging knives blend in with the forest
often when gathering and processing foraged herbs. floor and garden beds. See this article for hori-hori
They are sold at some garden centers and online. Here reviews: Hori-Hori and Soil Knife Showdown:
are some more recommendations for pruners from Reviews of the Best and the Worst.
Gardening Products Review, Empress of Dirt, and
Digging fork—Excellent for digging roots or turning
Rodale Institute.
over soil. This tool has square and sturdy tines, unlike
Hori-hori or weeding knife or Japanese garden the manure or hay fork, which has flat, bendable
knife—This tool looks like it sounds. Heavy duty and tines. You can find more affordable options at garden
compact, it is a sturdy wildcrafting tool and excellent supply centers or big-box hardware stores, but
weeding tool. Garden knives cut through most clay remember that you get what you pay for, so I wouldn’t
soils and can even pry rocks out of the ground. go with the cheapest option.
Mine has seen its share of soils across the land and
* All of these supplies and more can be found at
is still strong as ever after twenty-five years. Again, a
Villagers (our online students currently receive a
holster is quite handy and will protect your pack as
discount here for one year after enrollment).
well as your person. The wooden-handled varieties
are purported to be stronger than the plastic. They Villagers sells high-quality gardening tools and
are available through seed catalogs and landscaping supplies, beautiful bottles and jars, and all sorts
outfitters as well as some specialty garden centers. of medicine-making supplies. The shop is a small,
Look for models that have a “lip” at the base of the woman-owned business, consisting of an online and
blade to protect your hand if the knife slips (click walk-in store located in Asheville, North Carolina,
on the link above to see what we mean). If you have and owned by a Chestnut School graduate.
bottles for medicine making. Based in Virginia. for general farm supply needs, with garden tools, soil
amendments, and much more.
The Good Seed Co.—Regionally adapted heirloom
and open-pollinated non-GMO seeds, including Medicine Garden—Medicinal plant nursery based in
medicinal herbs, vegetables, and flowers selected for Portland, Oregon.
their homestead, permaculture, and polyculture value.
Milkweed Medicinal Seeds—Certified Organic
Based in Whitefish, Montana.
medicinal herb seeds and nursery featuring organically
The Growers Exchange—Sells rare herb plants; not a raised live plants. Based in Vermont.
source for seeds.
Mountain Gardens—The botanical garden of Chestnut
Harding’s Wild Mountain Herbs—Stratified seeds School instructor Joe Hollis. Seeds and bareroot plants
and rootlets for cultivating ginseng. Based in Maryland. available by mail—specializing in Appalachian and
Chinese medicinal herbs. Based in North Carolina.
The Herb Farm at Midsummer Farm—Medicinal
plant nursery based in Warwick, New York. Peaceful Valley Farm Supply—Many organic seeds,
plants, and soil amendments; large selection of garden
Johnny’s Selected Seeds—Large selection of seeds
tools, and seed-starting and growing supplies.
and plants, with organic options. A great go-to site
Prairie Moon Nursery—My favorite resource for excellent germination and cultivation information for
native plants of the eastern and central United States. each herb. Based in Oregon.
Their website has loads of germination and cultivation
The Thyme Garden Herb Co.—Organically grown,
info, superaffordable prices, organically grown
non-GMO culinary and medicinal herb seeds and live
plants (although not certified), and the company is
plants. Based in Oregon.
cooperatively owned. They rock!
True Love Seeds—Offers rare, open pollinated, and
Seven Springs Organic Farming & Garden Supply—
culturally important herb, vegetable, and flower seeds.
Organic farm supplies, including soil amendments,
Their seeds are grown by more than 20 small-scale
growing mixes, and cover crop seeds. Based in Virginia.
urban and rural farmers committed to community
They ship worldwide, but retailers can only be found
food sovereignty, cultural preservation, and sustainable
throughout the eastern United States.
agriculture.
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange—Heirloom
Useful Plants Nursery—Permaculture-based
varieties, with an emphasis on varieties that perform
nursery of the late Chestnut School instructor Chuck
well in the mid-Atlantic and southeastern United States.
Marsh. Specializing in useful, phytonutritional,
Their website has a great list of various growing guides
food, and medicinal plants well adapted to the
and resources.
southern Appalachian Mountains and surrounding
Strictly Medicinal Seeds—Formerly known as bioregions.
Horizon Herbs. Largest collection of organically grown
medicinal herb seeds and plants. Their catalog contains
These are herbs that we use frequently and planetary health, we highly recommend growing
in our practice, and they represent a sampling of your own herbs organically or purchasing organically
the ones we reach for again and again in medicine grown or sustainably wildcrafted herbs—from local
making and culinary recipes. Please note that this is sources—whenever possible.
not a complete list of all the herbs you’ll wish to work
(Note: Many of these herbs play a starring role in our
with, so follow your heart when placing bulk herb
online programs—the Online Herbal Immersion and
orders or starting a medicinal garden. For personal
the Online Herbal Medicine Making Course.)
• A
stragalus (Astragalus propinquus) – sliced
root
• C
alendula (Calendula officinalis) – whole
flowers, not petals
• C
hamomile, German (Matricaria recutita or
M. chamomilla) – flowers
• Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) – root*
• Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) – root
• E
chinacea (Echinacea purpurea or
E. angustifolia) – root, flower, leaves
• Elderberry berries (Sambucus nigra) – berries
• Elecampane (Inula helenium) – root
• Ginger (Zingiber officinale) – root
• H
ibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa) – calyx
(sometimes sold as flowers)
• H
oly basil/Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum) –
leaves and flowers
Monarda didyma
• L
emon balm (Melissa officinalis) – leaves and
flowers
• Lemon verbena (Aloysia citriodora) – leaves
Keeping Your Herbs Fresh
• Rose (Rosa spp.) – flower buds, petals, hips
Storing your herbs in a cool, dark place (like a cabinet,
• Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis) – fruit
pantry, or medicine chest) will help them retain their
• Stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) – leaves potency and longevity. A general rule of thumb is
• Usnea (Usnea spp.) – lichen that dried herbs and flowers will remain medicinally
• V
alerian (Valeriana officinalis) – root, potent for about one year, while dried roots and seeds
rhizome may have a longer shelf life of two to three years. If
• Y
arrow (Achillea millefolium) – leaves and in doubt about the freshness of an herb, take a closer
flowers look—it should smell aromatic and taste and look
*For topical use only. vibrant.
To top off this herbal extravaganza, we’ve pulled some of our most
popular articles, recipes, and videos from the Chestnut archives. You’ll get a special glimpse into
our kitchen, apothecary, herb gardens, and lushest herbal passions. Enjoy the tour!
Nopales Salsa
Herbal Finishing Salts and the Medicine of Prickly Pear
Calendula:
Herbs for the Immune System
An Edible and Medicinal Flower
Goldenrod: Lavender's
The Bees Knees Medicinal and Aromatherapy Uses
Directions: Pull your butter out of the refrigerator. blender. Both the chocolate and the cream need to be
Place your cream in a double boiler. Don’t have one? warm enough to emulsify, but not too warm or things
Improvise with two nested pans, the bottom one filled will melt and get wonky, not truffley. Now slowly add
with water and the top one lifted off the bottom by the room- temperature butter. Keep blending until
the handle. You can also place two mason jar lid rings your mixture resembles glossy chocolate pudding.
on the bottom pot to keep the upper one aloft. Heat Place in a pie pan lined with parchment paper and
the cream until you see steam rising but it's not yet refrigerate for an hour.
boiling. It shouldn’t be much hotter than your favorite
Then: Have your cocoa powder ready in a shallow pan.
hot springs (or 115°F, or 46°C, if you haven’t had the
Run your hands under very cold water (so they don’t
joy of soaking in hot springs). Add the lavender; turn
melt the chocolate as you are shaping the truffles).
off the heat, and let sit for thirteen minutes. Strain
Scoop off a teaspoon of chocolate and form into a ball.
while warm and press out as much of the liquid as
Dip the ball into the cocoa powder and place on a
possible. You should have ¾ cup of cream, and the
shallow pan lined with parchment paper. Repeat. You
lavender will have absconded with the rest. (Perhaps
may need to run your hands under cold water multiple
you will reclaim it in a cup of tea.)
times. Refrigerate the finished truffles, and they should
Now: Place your lavender-infused cream and honey last for a few weeks (with expert discipline).
back in the double boiler and heat it back up to
Thanks to Jade Chenoa for her expert instruction and
115°F (46°C). Heat up your chocolate similarly (the
for sharing her tried-and-true truffle recipe!
chocolate needs to be just fully melted). When all is
good and melted, slowly marry the cream and honey Read more about truffles and lavender's medicinal
with the chocolate while blending with an immersion and aromatherapy uses on our blog.
1. P
eel the garlic, and coarsely chop the 2. P
lace the slurried spiciness from both
onions, ginger, horseradish, and turmeric. batches into a double boiler. Don’t have
Place them in a food processor or blender, one? Nest a smaller pot inside a bigger pot
along with the cayenne peppers. Add or saucepan and use a couple of upside-
enough apple cider vinegar to cover. I prefer down mason jar rings to keep the inside
a glass blender, if it is available. Work in two pot off the bottom of the outer one.
batches. Blend carefully with the Add a little water to the outside pot and
lid on, and take care not to let voilà—double boiler! Add the rest of the
fumes or slurry get in your eyes. apple cider vinegar to the slurry and keep
the heat on low, with the lid on! Let the
If you don’t have some of these ingredients on hand, try freaking out.
That always works out so well for me, and my family especially benefits.
Alternately, you could use figs in lieu of the persimmon pulp, and any
other edible flowers in place of the calendula and pineapple sage.
Bring 1 quart of
water to a boil and
add 2 Tablespoons of
hibiscus (dried calyces
of Hibiscus sabdariffa,
Malvaceae). Let sit for
twenty minutes and
strain. Let the tea cool before
adding to ice cube trays.
1½ cups fills average ice cube
tray.