Medicinal Herbs of California is the first statewide field guide to more than 70 common medicinal plants of California. This vital addition to the California naturalist’s shelf will introduce readers to the principles of herbal remedies, history and roots in native cultures, scientific information, and how to find and incorporate medicinal plants into daily life. Inside you’ll find: Photos and descriptions to help with positive identification Common and scientific names and the plant families Conservation status Modern and traditional uses The science behind natural phytochemicals that have earned these plants a place in Native American medicine for thousands of years.

A new approach to growing local medicine, including information on geo-authenticity, wildcrafting, and developing a good business plan "[A] beautiful and informative book . . . A dirt-smudged copy should be within easy reach of every home gardener or farmer who grows—or wants to grow—medicinal plants."—Michael McGuffin, President, American Herbal Products Association Both a business guide and a farming manual, The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer will teach readers how to successfully grow and market organic medicinal Western herbs. Whether you’re trying to farm medicinal plants, culinary herbs, or at-risk native herbs exclusively or simply add herbal crops to what you’re already growing, successful small-scale herb farmers Jeff and Melanie Carpenter will guide you through the entire process―from cultivation to creating value-added products. Using their Zack Woods Herb Farm in Vermont as a backdrop, the Carpenters cover all the basic practical information farmers need to know to get an organic herb farm up and running, including: Size and scale considerations Layout and design of the farm and facilities Growing and cultivation information, including types of tools Field and bed prep Plant propagation Weed control, and pests and diseases Harvesting, as well as wild harvesting and the concept of geo-authentic botanicals Post-harvest processing Value-added products and marketing The authors also provide fifty detailed plant profiles, going deeper into the herbs every farmer should consider growing, including: Arnica Calendula Echinacea Ginko Ginseng Peppermint Saint John’s Wort Valerian In an easy-to-understand, practical, and comprehensive manner, readers will learn how to focus on quality over quantity, and keep costs down by innovating with existing equipment, rather than expensive technology. Market farmers who have never before considered growing medicinal herbs will learn why it’s more important to produce these herbs domestically. The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer makes a convincing case that producing organic medicinal herbs can be a viable, profitable, farming enterprise. The Carpenters also make the case for incorporating medicinal herbs into existing operations, as it can help increase revenue in the form of value-added products, not to mention improve the ecological health of farmland by encouraging biodiversity as a path toward greater soil health.

A Practical, Authoritative Compendium This handbook catalogs 365 species of herbs having medicinal or folk medicinal uses, presenting whatever useful information has been documented on their toxicity and utility in humans and animals. Plants from all over the world - from common cultivars to rare species - are included in these 700 pages. The toxicity of these species varies, but the safety of each has been formally or informally questioned by the Food and Drug Administration, National Cancer Institute, Department of Agriculture, Drug Enforcement Administra-tion, or Herb Trade Association. Easy-to-Locate Facts and Figures Designed to enable fast access to important information, this hand-book presents information in both catalog and tabular forms. In the catalog section, plants are presented alphabetically by scientific name. (The index permits you to locate an herb by its common name.) A detailed sketch of the chief identifying features accompa-nies most catalog entries. For each species the following information, as available, is presented and referenced: Family and colloquial names Chemical content Uses and applications - present and historical Processing, distribution, and economic potential Toxicological agents and degree of toxicity Poison symptoms in humans and animals Treatment and antidotes References to original literature Five Tables of Accessible Data Given a plant species, you can easily determine its toxins; or, given a toxin, you can discover which plants contain it. These and other data are presented in convenient tabular formats as appendixes to the handbook. Other information contained in these tables include toxicity ranking and other toxicity data (as applicable), such as mode of contact, organs affected, and lethal dose; and proximate analyses of selected foods. These tables are titled: Medicinal Herbs: Toxicity Rank

This book will guide you through the step-by-step process of learning about and growing your own healing herbs, starting with the basics of what each herb can do and proceeding to show you everything you need to cultivate them yourself. The first things you will learn in this guide are the basics of all healing herbs, starting with a complete breakdown of the numerous healing herbs known to be easily cultivated in temperate climates. Matching the right herbs to your region, you will then be able to start learning about how herbs grow, as well as what they need from the soil, water, the weather, and feeding. You will learn which plants grow best together and which style of herbs are going to be best for selling and which are best for personal growing. Experts in the field of healing herbs have provided their insights into issues such as how to harvest the healing herbs best and how to dry or preserve them for use as healing materials. Learn how you can make a number of common treatments for various ailments with your herbs and how you can benefit best from your newfound garden.--COVER.

If you're in search of natural remedies for common ailments, this comprehensive guide has over 550 healing herbs to promote health and well-being. Invite Mother Nature into your garden! Learn how to cultivate, harvest and make your own treatments with this definitive reference book for medicinal plants. From ginger to lavender, thyme, and even the little dandelion, this book is a complete encyclopedia of herbs, plants and their healing properties. Learn about the chemistry of the plants and how they act as a medicine. Create alternative treatments for nearly 200 common health concerns in the comfort of your home. Treat yourself with the most natural medicine and become your own herbalist. The helpful instructions are easy to follow so you can start your own medicinal garden with the best know-how. Create the ideal habitat for planting, practice careful cultivation and know the best time to harvest. The well-thought-out format of the book means you can look up information by plant names or by ailments. There are 550 essential herbs with a beautiful photographic plant index discussing their different uses. Learn how to safely and effectively process the correct parts of the plants to encourage holistic and healthy healing. Traditional Medicine with Modern Research A treasure trove of information on the history of natural remedies and the many uses of plants. An essential index for any level of herbal expertise and supportive advice for beginners. - Extensive photographic index of over 550 herbs and plants. - Description of the plants, their active constituents and therapeutic properties. - Advice on how to cultivate your own herb garden.

Chinese herb garden.

Herbal Emissaries is the first collaboration between a Chinese scientist and an American herbalist, blending traditional wisdom from both cultures with scientific verification of the effectiveness of forty-four medicinal plants. The authors supply specific techniques for cultivating these Chinese herbs and flowers in Western gardens and explain their medicinal use.

“Seasoned and novice growers alike will find a mother lode of information and wisdom packed into this gem of a book!”—Nancy Phillips, author of The Herbalist’s Way *Updated with new information about herb dryers and construction, soil fertility, growing cannabis, and more In the first edition of The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer, authors Jeff and Melanie Carpenter presented a comprehensive seed-to-bottle guide for aspiring and experienced growers alike, from basic business considerations to planting and propagation to creating value-added products. Now they’re back with a revised and updated edition, sharing the lessons they’ve learned throughout their twenty-five years of operating a medicinal herb farm that prizes quality over quantity. The Carpenters offer their insights and tips on every aspect of herb farming, including: Size and scale considerations Data management for profit maximization The herbal marketplace and choosing which herbs to grow Field and bed preparation and planting, including building soil fertility Plant-positive weed, pest, and disease control Harvest and post-harvest processing, including scalable dryer construction Value-added products and marketing A new chapter on growing cannabis And much more! The Carpenters make the case that growing organic medicinal herbs is not only viable and profitable, but also an important step for improving the ecological health of farmland, taking pressure off of wild medicinal plant populations, and increasing biodiversity. While local foodways are more often the focus of attention, local medicine ways are equally critical and in need of restoration. The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer is a one-of-a-kind resource, complete with detailed profiles of 50 medicinal herbs and over 200 color photographs. Whether you’re looking to grow an herb farm from the ground up, incorporate medicinal plants on an existing farm, or add tools to your belt as a seasoned grower, you’ll find the information you need in this volume. “[A] beautiful and informative book . . . A dirt-smudged copy should be within easy reach of every home gardener or farmer who grows—or wants to grow—medicinal plants.”—Michael McGuffin, President, American Herbal Products Association

Health, Wellness & Natural Healing with Earth's Medicine In the last century, mortality rates have dropped in the developed world. However, as death rates fall, there appears to be a drop in well-being. Conventional medications usually consist of synthetic medicines which can cause various side effects and are often expensive. Herbal medications cost less and are much more gentle on the body. Not only this, but they conform with cultural practices and traditions that stretch back for thousands of years. The Native Americans have perfected the use of plants for health benefits for more than a thousand years. And they aren’t only for hippies. All manner of people use herbal medicine from school teachers to billionaire CEOs. In this book you’ll not only learn all about Native American Herbalism to Improve Your Health, Wellness & Vitality with Indigenous Healing Practices, Medicinal Plants, Natural Herbs, & Herbalist Remedies. Inside this book you will discover amazing natural remedies, teas, herbs and much more made from plants indigenous to North America. All of this and much more including: How Native American Herbalism is different from conventional medicine (myths and facts exposed) Discover the most important plants, herbs, flowers, seeds, spices and barks + safety & dosage guidelines Infusion of Sage - purify the person, a location, or a part of life Harvesting, growing and preservation tips every beginner should know Period pain relief - that won’t negatively affect your hormones Herbs to improve your skin - including Astringent herbs which can improve acne by preventing sebum discharge The Rose of the Wild - use this to ward off spiritual entities that might be haunting you or to guide new spirits How to get started foraging - practical guidance, sustainable methods & laws for complete beginners And much, much more Strengthen your body, mind and spirit with Native American Herbalism. Begin Now with this book.

Of all the books written concerning the Indians of North America, I don’t know of one which treats of the Indians’ great knowledge of medicine, the vast store which was theirs of plants and herbs which possessed curative and healing qualities, many of them far superior, even today, to the medicine used by the white physician. There is a reason. In some instances the white man did not get the correct information from his Indian brother due to the latter’s inability to make himself understood—this was, of course, also true of the former. Again, some information given was intentionally wrong due to the ill-feeling the Indian had for the white man. And again, many of those healing plants were held in such veneration by the Indians, that to impart their virtues to a white man was an unpardonable crime, and the punishment meted out to the offender was of the severest form. I am an Indian, proud of it and of my forefathers, whose bitterness toward the white man was only too well justified. But time changes all things and bitterness and hatred never made for understanding nor happiness. In this spirit I wrote this book, in the spirit of doing good. And in this I have the help and permission of my dear uncle, Chief Pablo, of the Mahuna tribe of Indians of Southern California, who permitted me to describe certain plants whose curative properties have been kept a secret by the Indians for over one hundred years. This is the first time they are made known. The Indian, living close to and with nature—the greatest teacher of all for those who have eyes to see—became nature’s most intelligent pupil. Gifted with the keenest observation and the ability to reason, he searched the discovered plants which nature herself had provided for any ailment, sickness, or mishap which might befall him. I am sending this book out into the world not for fame, but as a messenger of goodwill and peace. May it be received in this spirit and accomplish its mission.