Essential Herbal Wisdom: A Complete Exploration of 50 Remarkable Herbs

by Nancy Arrowsmith

Popular author and healing practitioner Nancy Arrowsmith takes readers on a fascinating in-depth exploration of the herbal arts. Arrowsmith's friendly voice and vast knowledge of herbal applications, history, and folklore shine through in this herbalism reference work. As entertaining as it is practical, this comprehensive illustrated herb guide covers everything from herb gathering prayers and charms to signatures for fifty powerful herbs. Each herb is described in detail, with tips on growing, gathering, drying, and storing these marvelous plants, as well as their culinary virtues, cosmetic properties, medicinal merits, veterinary values, and household applications. Along with thought-provoking bits of folk history and literary and spiritual references to herbs and nature, this directory includes step-by-step instructions on cooking with herbs and preparing herbal remedies, as well as gardening hints and seed-saving tips.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Health, Herbs, Plants, Reference

576 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2009

About the author

Nancy Arrowsmith was born in Oxford, England, in 1950 of American parents. She has travelled widely in the United States, India, and Europe. A Field Guide to the Little People was her first book. Also is the founder and former editor-in-chief of Kraut & Rüben, Germany’s first organic gardening magazine. She also founded the international seed organization Arche Noah, with the mission to preserve endangered plants. Arrowsmith has a master’s degree in acupuncture and runs her own healing practice in Arizona.

Reviews

[Dayna · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the back cover it says, "A Treasury of Herbal Wisdom and Lore," which pretty well describes what this book is. It gives detailed coverage of 50 herbs (some of which I hadn't heard of before). I read only a few of the entries, but thought that they were well written and organized. The illustrations are simple, the layout is uncluttered. It is informative without being dull. That isn't to say it's a vastly entertaining read. The scope is a little too large for that. It isn't a read-straight-through kind of book, but it's not just a quick reference guide either. I would say it falls somewhere in between. I really liked how this book felt holding it! It's large but not cumbersome, thick but not stiff. I don't usually make a big deal out of things like that (unless the size & binding are truly awful) but this is one of those books that's fun to pick up and flip through just because of how it feels in your hands. But, this is not the first book I would grab if I needed a guide for my own plants/garden. I would recommend it more for someone that actually has a large herb garden or to folks into natural healing remedies. The "wisdom & lore" would appeal to them.

[Paige Vanderbeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a lot of the information in this book, like it's mythological/magical uses and uses in husbandry which I thought was pretty funny. The recipes, however interesting, aren't incredibly useful though. Other than that I really like it and would definitely recommend it to other people interested in herbal healing or even pagans.

[Chriss · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the wide breadth of information and the multi-national cultural data about the herbs. The recipes, though, are all reprints of old ones from the 1800s and earlier so the average person can't really interpret or use them.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book well worth buying.

Very entertaining and informative.

Fascinating folklore.

Features many of my favorites like angelica, borage, comfrey, horehound, valerian, etc.