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The Complete Folk Herbal: An Illustrated Guide to Natural Remedies and Everyday Healing
A definitive, beautifully illustrated guide to the rich folklore, history, and utility of wild herbs that are readily available across North America.
The Complete Folk Herbal is a comprehensive guide to Western folk herbalism designed to help you harness the natural medicinal and healing powers of wild plants. Experienced forager and ethnobotanist Rebecca Beyer offers an in-depth exploration of how plants can be used for medicine, ethical considerations in foraging, and the unique histories of these herbs. With easy-to-implement practices that are grounded in sustainability, she demonstrates how to work with plants to soothe everyday pains, including headaches, burns, backaches, menstrual pain, itching, insomnia, fatigue, and dozens of other minor ailments and maladies.
The Complete Folk Herbal provides an encyclopedic deep dive into nearly 100 North American herbs, flowers, and fruits—from agrimony to yellowroot. Each entry includes:
-ORIGINS: Where does the plant originate from?
-PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: What does the plant look like in the wild?
-TRADITIONAL USES: How was this plant used historically?
-MODERN USES: How can you work with this plant today?
-MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS: Recipes to make with the plant, including teas, decoctions, tinctures, balms, salves, and more.
While it’s true no single book will ever offer a complete picture of the herbal arts, The Complete Folk Herbal will help you refine your skills and begin a lifelong journey of herbal healing, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced herbalist.
The Complete Folk Herbal is a comprehensive guide to Western folk herbalism designed to help you harness the natural medicinal and healing powers of wild plants. Experienced forager and ethnobotanist Rebecca Beyer offers an in-depth exploration of how plants can be used for medicine, ethical considerations in foraging, and the unique histories of these herbs. With easy-to-implement practices that are grounded in sustainability, she demonstrates how to work with plants to soothe everyday pains, including headaches, burns, backaches, menstrual pain, itching, insomnia, fatigue, and dozens of other minor ailments and maladies.
The Complete Folk Herbal provides an encyclopedic deep dive into nearly 100 North American herbs, flowers, and fruits—from agrimony to yellowroot. Each entry includes:
-ORIGINS: Where does the plant originate from?
-PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: What does the plant look like in the wild?
-TRADITIONAL USES: How was this plant used historically?
-MODERN USES: How can you work with this plant today?
-MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS: Recipes to make with the plant, including teas, decoctions, tinctures, balms, salves, and more.
While it’s true no single book will ever offer a complete picture of the herbal arts, The Complete Folk Herbal will help you refine your skills and begin a lifelong journey of herbal healing, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced herbalist.
384 pages, Hardcover
Published October 7, 2025
11 people are currently reading
4717 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 16, 2025
I received my copy free through GoodReads Giveaways.
It is hard to rate a book like this, as I haven't tried every recipe and tip. But a beautiful book that includes footnoted references.
It is hard to rate a book like this, as I haven't tried every recipe and tip. But a beautiful book that includes footnoted references.
February 16, 2026
Read a hardcover copy from my public library.
The value in this book is based on the author’s perspective of coming from the Appalachian folk magic tradition.
If you’re based in that part of the US, or interested in collecting books in that tradition, I’d recommend purchasing the book. If you’re not based in that part of the US, you may or may not need it for your collection.
There are some really nice, easy options to get involved with herbs from a more culinary viewpoint, especially for beginners. Sage salt or
bitters, anyone?
—-
It has about 40 pages of well-chosen introductory material, including ethics and how-to of wildcrafting, a couple pages on making different types of herbal preparations, and about 4 pages on medicine making via the folk method vs using custom menstruums. She does include a menstruum calculation page.
The rest of the book covers single herbs, in English order (w/Latin underneath), in alphabetical order. At the end of each description, each herb has several single-herb items you can make out of it, depending on the herb (tea, decoction, tincture, vinegar, etc.).
Importantly, it includes the strengths of each herb based on Appalachian folklore.
It usually includes custom menstruum ratios, plant by plant (there’s no table). These can sometimes be hard to find (as I was taught to review at least 3 custom ratios before determining my own).
The descriptions have a lot of nice sections to them, such as origins, appearance, parts used, properties, substitutions, wildcrafting notes, traditional uses, etc.
The most useful pieces for me are the custom
menstruum ratios and the herb substitutions, along with any folklore stories.
There’s a good variety of herbs and food plants in the book.
—-
The text in the hardcover version is this weird green color, which makes it hard to read.
Also, as a result, all the plant drawings are green and mustard yellow, which will make ID more difficult for newbies.
The ink colors alone would keep me from purchasing this book.
Some dangerous herbs are included, which I would leave out completely. Ex: Datura/Jimsonweed/Moonflower is rarely used by professional herbalists as using this herb can kill people, but it’s included in the book for its medicinal uses.
There’s no section on systems of the body in any tradition, which is important for the beginning herbalist to learn, so they understand how to bring the body into alignment, vs using plants like Western drugs.
That said, occasionally it will touch on Ayurvedic medicine/doshas, but you need to already know those.
Overall, one herb at a time is used. There’s not a focus on recipes or formulations.
While she has excellent credentials in traditional schooling, I can’t tell what herbalism lineage she belongs to (if she studied with any master teacher, or one of their students), based on her bio. This might be available online?
The value in this book is based on the author’s perspective of coming from the Appalachian folk magic tradition.
If you’re based in that part of the US, or interested in collecting books in that tradition, I’d recommend purchasing the book. If you’re not based in that part of the US, you may or may not need it for your collection.
There are some really nice, easy options to get involved with herbs from a more culinary viewpoint, especially for beginners. Sage salt or
bitters, anyone?
—-
It has about 40 pages of well-chosen introductory material, including ethics and how-to of wildcrafting, a couple pages on making different types of herbal preparations, and about 4 pages on medicine making via the folk method vs using custom menstruums. She does include a menstruum calculation page.
The rest of the book covers single herbs, in English order (w/Latin underneath), in alphabetical order. At the end of each description, each herb has several single-herb items you can make out of it, depending on the herb (tea, decoction, tincture, vinegar, etc.).
Importantly, it includes the strengths of each herb based on Appalachian folklore.
It usually includes custom menstruum ratios, plant by plant (there’s no table). These can sometimes be hard to find (as I was taught to review at least 3 custom ratios before determining my own).
The descriptions have a lot of nice sections to them, such as origins, appearance, parts used, properties, substitutions, wildcrafting notes, traditional uses, etc.
The most useful pieces for me are the custom
menstruum ratios and the herb substitutions, along with any folklore stories.
There’s a good variety of herbs and food plants in the book.
—-
The text in the hardcover version is this weird green color, which makes it hard to read.
Also, as a result, all the plant drawings are green and mustard yellow, which will make ID more difficult for newbies.
The ink colors alone would keep me from purchasing this book.
Some dangerous herbs are included, which I would leave out completely. Ex: Datura/Jimsonweed/Moonflower is rarely used by professional herbalists as using this herb can kill people, but it’s included in the book for its medicinal uses.
There’s no section on systems of the body in any tradition, which is important for the beginning herbalist to learn, so they understand how to bring the body into alignment, vs using plants like Western drugs.
That said, occasionally it will touch on Ayurvedic medicine/doshas, but you need to already know those.
Overall, one herb at a time is used. There’s not a focus on recipes or formulations.
While she has excellent credentials in traditional schooling, I can’t tell what herbalism lineage she belongs to (if she studied with any master teacher, or one of their students), based on her bio. This might be available online?
December 28, 2025
This one is an absolute must have if you're into herbalism. It has a beautiful cover and interior. It is very subdued and makes me want to break out the colored pencils which for me is also a plus. It has great introductory information to more detailed advanced things. There are worksheets in there that you can use to keep track of what you've harvested because we know we all harvest stuff and then forget what it is.......or maybe that's just me. We have a great worksheet for figuring out tincture ratios as well as pages and pages full of different herbs, how to use them and a recipe at the end of each herb page. I was excited to see a page about Kudzu. I had no idea that it was medicinal. Someone needs to come down to Florida and get it off all the trees.
October 26, 2025
This beautiful herbalism guide explains how to harvest herbs and then turn them into teas, tinctures, salves, and other remedies. Each herb has a detailed description, explaining its origins, appearance, properties, taste, what it’s used for, and more. Because this can be used as a reference book (that’s how I’ll be using it), I wish there was thorough index for symptoms.
November 14, 2025
I received this book for an honest review, and while I am pleased, I have it and will keep it for reference, I find that this book is incomplete. like my other books I have. it would ve nice yo know to what extent we shouldn't take or make something if we have a medical condition. to elaborate is key to enforcing more knowledge. also, it would be interesting to have allergic sections so we know if we can take while on medications.
I am still grateful to have this book, but I notice I dont reach for it as often as my other books on the same topics.
I still recommend this book to those who are interested in alternative therapies.
I am still grateful to have this book, but I notice I dont reach for it as often as my other books on the same topics.
I still recommend this book to those who are interested in alternative therapies.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews