Best Books on Herbal Medicine

Discover some of the best books on Herbal Medicine from a variety of knowledgeable herbalists and authors. Keeping an herbal library helps you to have important information right at the tip of your fingers when needed.

The Herbal Library

Over the last ten years of studying herbalism I have read and collected a lot of books! There are some that are especially near and dear to my heart though. I reference them often, have corners dog eared and notes all over the pages. While it’s hard to pick favorites the ones listed below would be my top recommendations for those wanting to start building their own herbal library.

Rosemary Gladstar’s Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health – This was the first book on herbs that I bought years ago as a new mom and 12 years later I still read it. You can’t go wrong with any of Rosemary Gladstar’s books but this is a personal favorite.
Stephen Buhner’s Herbal Antibiotics – I believe this book should be in all homes to reference when faced with bacterial infections especially ones that are antibiotic resistant. His Herbal Antivirals book is worth having as well.
Rachel Weaver’s Back Yard Pharmacy – I love Rachel’s simple teachings on herbs and folk remedies. She spent many years as an herbalist treating her large family and Amish community in Pennsylvania. You’ll find many lost remedies in her books that your Grandmother might’ve used back in the day.
Mountain Medicine The Herbal Remedies of Tommie Bass – Darryl Patton studied under expert folk herbalist and forager Tommie Bass and then carried on his legacy by writing Mountain Medicine. I had the privilege of learning from Darryl at his herbal conference.
Mary Bove’s Encyclopedia of Natural Healing for Children and Infants – A must have for mothers. Mary writes about nutrition, the immune system, herbal remedies and a little bit about homeopathy.
Peterson Field Guide To Medicinal Plants and Herbs – A lot of the herbal medicine I use I find wild so having a good field guide like Peterson’s is essential.
The Modern Herbal Dispensatory – If you are looking for a good amount of information on how to make medicine from herbs then you’ll love this book! The plant profiles included are really nice to use as a reference too.
Vibrant Botanicals – This is a lovely book by Jennifer McGruther who is also behind the Nourished Kitchen.