Want to know more? This page reviews some of the best books available on the history, identification, cultivation and use of herbs. If you click on the title of the book you will be taken to the Amazon site where you will be able to purchase it online. You may also search for thousands of other titles not listed here.
If you would like to see a full list of all the titles cited in the Herb Profile bibliographies, these are also linked to Amazon and can be accessed by clicking HERE.
FIELD GUIDES
If you are going to be using herbs, it is important that you are able to identify them accurately.
Wild Flowers of Britain by Roger Philips, Shiela Grant and Tom Wellsted is filled with clear photographic illustrations.
The Herb Identifier by Andi Clevly: This volume provides an up-to-date guide to all the most popular herbs and their uses, and also a practical manual to home cultivation. It includes over 400 colour photographs, with pictures of every herb for easy identification.
GROWING HERBS
The Herb Garden Month-by-month by Barbara Segall: Covers all you need to know to cultivate, harvest and use a wide variety of herbs. Filled with photographs and detailed drawings.
The Medicinal Garden by Anne McIntyre: How to Grow and Use your Own Medicinal Herbs
Royal Horticultural Society's Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses by Deni Bown: Describes and illustrates over 1000 herbs with advice on their cultivation, harvesting and uses in both cookery and medicine.
MEDICINAL HERBS
Bartram's Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine by Thomas Bartram: An invaluable reference manual on the herbal treatment of disease, striking a balance between a technical publication and one for home reference. Contains over 1500 entries.
The Complete Floral Healer by Anne McIntyre: A practical guide to the healing power of flowers through herbalism, aromatherapy, homeopathy and flower essences. Beautifully illustrated with photographs and drawings.
The Complete Medicinal Herbal by Penelope Ody: A beautifully illustrated guide to herbal medicines for use at home, together with a section on how to make your own tinctures, syrups and creams.
The New Age Herbalist edited by Richard Mabey: A practical and comprehensive guide to modern herbal medicine, with sections on herb cultivation, nutrition and healing.
A Modern Herbal Volume I and Volume II by Mrs. Grieve: First published in 1931, this is an encyclopedic work covering hundreds of herbs.
Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine by Andrew Chevallier: A fully illustrated reference guide to more than 550 of the most important medicinal herbs from the world's key herbal traditions.
Tree Medicine by Peter Conway: The book investigates the history of trees in medicine and looks at how trees can be effective in healing. It also examines the role of trees in herbal medicine, aromatherapy and flower and tree essences; the various types of preparation; professional help with tree medicine; self-help using tree medicine; and other approaches to healing trees such as wood carving, growing trees and tree meditation.
Herbal Teas by K.Brown et.al. describes the health benefits of herbal teas and gives instructions and recipes for making a variety of herbal drinks. Specific blends target the general health needs of women, men and children while more universal teas provide relief for common ailments.
Healing Drinks by Anne McIntyre
COOKING WITH HERBS
Sophie Grigson's Herbs A guide to cooking with more than fifty herbs. The recipes feature both familiar and less-well-known herbs from Britain, Europe and Asia
HISTORY AND FOLKLORE
Green Pharmacy by Barbara Griggs: A history of herbal medicine.
Flora Britannica edited by Richard Mabey: A marvellous book which describes the traditional uses of native British plants. Also available is The Concise Flora Britannica
Memory, Wisdom and Healing by Gabrielle Hatfield: This book brings together a wealth of material from manuscripts, letters, diaries and personal interviews to present a vivid picture of the use of domestic remedies in Britain for the last 300 years.
Nature's Medicine by Joel L. Swerdlow: A National Geographic publication, this is a chronicle of the healer's art and an account of our continuing quest to discover new medicines and unravel the complex interactions between the biochemistry of plants and the human body. As you'd expect from National Geographic, the book contains a feast of glorious photographs.
Native American Ethnobotany by Daniel Moerman. Although this is now available as an online searchable database, any serious student of ethnobotany will appreciate this book which documents almost 45000 uses of over 4000 plants.
Iroquois Medical Botany by James Herrick: a guide to understanding the use of herbal medicines in traditional Iroquois culture, this volume attempts to relate Iroquois cosmology to cultural themes by showing the inherent spiritual power of plants and how the Iroquois traditionally have used, and continue to use, plants as remedies.
Medicine of the Cherokee : The Way of Right Relationship by J & M Garrett
Shaker Medicinal Herbs by Amy Bess Williams Miller: a compendium of history, lore and uses which surveys two hundred years of Shaker herbal medicine and includes descriptions of hundreds of plants.
The Scots Herbal by Tess Darwin: This is the first ever comprehensive guide to the many ways in which wild plants (including seaweed, fungi, moss and lichens) have been used in Scotland from prehistoric times to the present day.
MISCELLANEOUS
Natural Medicine - Herbal First Aid by Andrew Chevallier: A useful little guide dealing with the herbal treatment of day-to-day ailments.
Natural Alternatives to Antibiotics by John McKenna: Offers sound advice and thorough background information on herbal remedies, nutritional supplements, and dietary changes that can be used to treat common illnesses and prevent an overuse of antibiotics, which can impair the immune system.
The Pregnancy Herbal by Jaqulene Harper-Roth: An accessible, welcome guide to using the healing powers of herbs to ease the discomforts, ills, and anxieties that can arise during normal pregnancies. This book offers a unique combination of diet, exercise, massage, and aromatherapy that not only relaxes and invigorates, but also makes women feel good about themselves at every stage of this exhilarating process.
A Mother's Guide to Raising Healthy Children - Naturally by Sue Frederick: a resource for parents who have questions, fears and concerns about the health and well-being of their child, this guide features practical advice from experts in the field of natural medicine, providing the necessary building blocks to raise a child who will thrive in mind, body and spirit.
Safe Natural Remedies for Babies and Children by Amanda Cochrane: a practical guide to typical ailments which may affect babies and young children. It contains an A-Z of common health problems and a list of natural therapies for treatment including aromatherapy, acupuncture, flower remedies, reflexology and dietary therapy.
ADHD Alternatives: A Natural Approach to Treating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, by A&T Romm and Christopher Hobbs
Herbs for a Good Night's Sleep by David Hoffman: this detailed guide explores the various medicinal herbs that can help improve the depth and ease of sleep.
Healthy Heart: Strengthen Your Cardiovascular System Naturally by David Hoffman
The Traveler's Natural Medicine Kit by Pamela Hirsch: a compact guide to assembling a customized travel health kit with natural remedies for relieving many of the traveller's common complaints
Natural Remedies for Dogs and Cats by C.J. Puotinen: this guide shows how a combination of formulae, simple techniques, easy-to-follow recipes, important safety information and clear instructions can keep a pet in optimum health.
The A-Z Guide to Drug-Herb and Vitamin Interactions by S.W.Liniger et.al: Identifies herbal therapies and nutritional supplements that support or interfere with the efficacy of prescription and non-prescription drugs.
The Natural Pharmacist - Drug-Herb-Vitamin Interactions Bible by Steve Bratman
The Soap Book : Simple Herbal Recipes by Sandy Maine
Making Herbal Dream Pillows by Jim Long
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