When starting out as a budding Herbalist, the amount of information out there can seem overwhelming. We know what it's like starting out, so we’ve put together a list of courses, books and podcasts for new herbal enthusiasts. 

Courses for Budding Herbalists 

Wild Rose College 

If you feel called to work with herbal medicine, Wild Rose College offers herbal courses, diploma programs, events, and apprenticeships. They also offer free resources to get you started. Courses are self-paced and focus on connecting you with ancestral knowledge to support yourself and your community through plant medicine.  

Xálish Medicines 

Dr. Jacqui Wilkins of Xálish Medicines offers three different programs that seek to connect folks to plant medicine, community and the land for deep healing. She teaches respectful plant medicine and harvesting, demonstrates how to grow your own herbs at home, and offers an exploratory herbal mentorship. 

Herbal Academy  

Build your foundation in herbalism with online, self-paced courses and workshops taught by qualified herbalists, authors and teachers. Herbal Academy offers several free e-book resources to get you started with incorporating basic herbal principles into your routine. 

Chestnut School of Herbs 

The Chestnut School of Herbs aims to connect people with plants and the earth through bioregional herbal medicine. Their Online Herbal Programs provide the map to guide you through medicine making, foraging, and how to create the herbal garden of your dreams.  

Aviva Romm 

Dr. Aviva Romm is an Herbalist, MD and Midwife. She created the course, Herbal Medicine for Women to help women all over the world adopt a holistic approach to herbal medicine. Dr. Romm offers training on herbs that support the reproductive cycle, hormones and more. 

Books for Budding Herbalists 

Our team has collaborated to bring you a list of our favourite books to get you started on your herbal medicine journey. 

The Earthwise Herbal, Vol 1: A Complete Guide to Old World Medicinal Plants by Matthew Wood 
 
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teaching of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer 

Plants for the People: A Modern Guide to Plant Medicine by Erin Lovell Verinder 

Radical Remedies: An Herbalist’s Guide to Empowered Self-Care by Brittany Ducham

The Botanical Bible: Plants, Flowers, Art, Recipes & Other Home Remedies by Sonya Patel Ellis 

The Illustrated Herbiary: Guidance and Rituals from 36 Bewitching Botanicals by Maia Toll and Kate O’Hara 

Podcasts for Budding Herbalists

The Plant Path 

The Plant Path covers a variety of global perspectives on herbalism including traditional western herbalism, Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine. This podcast provides unique insights, skills and strategies for a budding herbalist practice. 

Cultivating Place 

Jennifer Jewell covers all things gardening in Cultivating Place. This podcast is for nature lovers around the globe, exploring how and why we have the impulse to garden. The conversations celebrate our connection to plants, and how they nourish our bodies, minds and spirits. 

The Herbal Highway

This podcast provides knowledge on herbal medicine and alternative choices to western medical practices for healing. The Herbal Highway focuses on supporting community, Indigenous land rights, protection of sacred sites and sustainability. 

For the Wild 

For the Wild invites some incredible visionaries to discuss protection of nature, ecological renewal, and how to heal from consumer culture. They uplift multiple perspectives and amplify voices that may otherwise be silenced.  

Herbs with Rosalee 

Rosalee shares all things herbal medicine in Herbs with Rosalee. Learn about the healing power of plants as food and remedies through our connection to the natural world.  

Looking to get started on a smaller scale? Check out this blog post where we dive into how you can Practice Sustainable Herbalism at Home.