How to Find Natural Herbs

More than 17 percent of U.S. adults used herbal supplements in 2007, states the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Throughout history, natural herbs provided food and medicine; there's even archaeological evidence showing that primeval people used plants to heal themselves, according to the Natural Medicinal Herbs Information website. Many natural herbs are readily available and grow wildly in the towns and cities of America. Foraging expert Euell Gibbons, for example, found more than 12 edible herbs and medicinal plants growing wild on one ordinary San Francisco street back in the 1960s. His celebrated book, "Stalking the Healthful Herbs," is still considered to be a seminal work on finding natural herbs.

Instructions

1. Take part in local herb walks. Most areas organize herb and foraging walks led by experts who teach you what plants to look for, how to identify them and what they can be used for. Go to Foraging.com for a comprehensive nationwide directory of walks and associations. Visit renowned naturalist Steve Brill's website wildmanstevebrill.com, for information about walks and tours to find natural herbs.

2. Get your own botany guide. You need a good field guide book to identify the herbs. Look for one that has large, clear and detailed photographs and easy to understand explanations of specific natural herbs. You should be able to easily carry it around with you to spot herbs wherever you are. Try the 2nd Edition of "A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America," by Steven Foster and James A. Duke.

3. Contact Giving Ground. This is an 80-acre forested herbal retreat in a Minnesota national park where visitors can learn to identify and prepare medicinal herbal plants. As an "herbal apprentice," the plants you study in Minnesota will be the same ones commonly found all over America and the ones that "will greet you in your yards and gardens and under your hedges" back at home. Find further information about the retreats and about general information on natural herbs at Giving Ground.com.

4. Learn from the American Herbalists Guild. This non-profit educational organization can help you find an herbalist in your area as well as offering herb school courses, ranging from basic to in-depth studies and on-site to distance learning. Guild members are trained, qualified and practically experienced herbalists dedicated to the evolution of U.S. herbalism.

   Herbalists are not medical doctors and are governed by state regulations for small businesses, not medicine. Anyone growing herbs for other people's use may fall under the Food and Drug Administration's regulations, according to the Institute of Natural Healing.

Tips & Warnings

• Always get permission to gather wild plants from private land.

• Look for natural herbs wherever you go and keep your guide book with you at all times for quick reference.

• Consult your healthcare provider before using any natural herb either on yourself or anyone else.

• Never use a plant you haven't personally identified.

• Pick plants sparingly to avoid species extinction.

References

• National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Dietary Supplement Use in the United States
• Natural Medicinal Herbs Information: Understanding Herbs and Using Herbal Medicine
• Amazon: "Stalking the Healthful Herbs"; Euell Gibbons; 1966
• Giving Ground: Herbal Apprenticeships Now at Giving Ground
• American Herbalists Guild: Guide to Getting an Herbal Education
• Institute of Natural Healing: U.S. Regulations

Resources

• "A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs"; Steven Foster, James A. Duke; 1999
• Learn About Foraging With "Wildman" Steve Brill
• Foraging.com: Foraging and Ethnobotany Links & Books Page