African American Herbalism: A Practical Guide to Healing Plants and Folk Traditions

by Lucretia VanDyke

Discover the roots of modern-day herbal remedies, plant medicine, holistic rituals, natural recipes, and more that were created by African American herbal healers throughout history.This first-of-its-kind herbal guide takes you through the origins of herbal practices rooted in African American tradition—from Ancient Egypt and the African tropics to the Caribbean and the United States. Inside you’ll find the stories of herbal healers like Emma Dupree and Henrietta Jeffries, who made modern American herbalism what it is today.  After rediscovering the forgotten legacies of these healers, African American Herbalism dives into the important contributions they made to the world of herbalism,   Rituals for sacred bathing and skin care Herbal tinctures, potions, and medicine  Recipes for healing meals and soul food  And more!   You’ll also find a comprehensive herbal guide to the most commonly used herbs—such as aloe, lavender, sage, sassafras, and more—alongside gorgeous botanical illustrations. African American Herbalism is the perfect guide for anyone wanting to explore the medicinal and healing properties of herbs.  

Genres: Nonfiction, History, African American, Health, Spirituality

199 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 4, 2022

Reviews

[Rosalee · Rating 5 out of 5]

An important book for every herbalist to read. I love how Lucretia tied important elements together like ancestral herbalism and modern day herbalists. Her recipes are fantastic and there's lots to love in this book! I was grateful to receive an advanced copy in order to interview Lucretia on my podcast. Her infectious enthusiasm for herbalism shines through her.

[Anuki Orin · Rating 1 out of 5]

So many things felt out of place with this book, the first being Ancient Egypt being mentioned and the first thing spoken about in relation to AA herbalism...just because Egypt is in Africa doesn't mean culturally AA have any connections to it ancestrally...this book made it seem like its one of the roots when in reality AA are majorly West & Central African. North Africa is a different cultural histories so it was very much giving Hotep vibes. Hoteps for those who don't know are AA's who believe they are the real Egyptians among other things. The use of onions where the tool used to tie Ancient Egypt to AAs but onions where actually brought to what is now the Americas by the Spanish colonizers. The Spanish/Iberian peninsula was colonized by the Moors for hundreds of years hence cultural exchange of onions where brought to the Caribbean. The Moors are North African Arabized indigenous Berbers who controlled what is now Spain for years. This is why many Latin Americans have North African ancestry as well as cultural heritage however, this is not the same history for AAs so Im not sure why they where mentioned at all.

The second thing the author stated is that Santeria is Puerto Rican...which confirms to me that they don't know anything about Puerto Rico religious and spiritual practices...

The last thing is only a small amount of herbs were mentioned and not enough information on them was stated. The author stated they did research but it was not really presented in the book when it came to getting into the herbs. I enjoyed the interviews but other than that it was eh.

[Giana Vasconcellos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book does an incredible job explaining herbalism focusing on the roots of the practices, influential Black ancestors who brought the uses over to the new world, and how they integrated their use within the enslaved community. It’s a great representation of bridging history and modern herbal medicinal use and even cooking and foraging for these herbs.

People may say that there aren’t enough herbs that the author covers and to whatever extent a reader is expecting, but she clearly states in the beginning that you ease into starting herbalism. With a handful of herbs, uses, contraindications etc and that’s exactly what she does.

The clear intent of this book is to highlight cultural wisdom and give credit where credit is due for ancestors in the African American community and essentially getting back to our roots. Very well written!

[AJ ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick relatable read, love the time spent on discussing being Black in America and connection to Indigenous African practices. Very healing for folks who feel the void and grief of diaspora. Recipes and interviews were lovely addition. Great beginner book for Black Herbalists.

[Abigail · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wanted to like it but it was just ok some misinformation.

[Nicole Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m new to herbalism but my ancestors are not. And apparently they’ve been waiting on me for a long time. Lucretia’s book is simply wonderful! Like a calling home if you will. As I read the book, I heard my momma’s stories of her mother, gathering and mixing, applying medicine and praying. I immediately called my 82yr old mother to read excerpts to her. She lit up like she’d received the best present on Christmas morning! A good portion that I read to her was met with “yes that’s right!” and “oh I forgot about that but I gathered it with my mom and she used it to….” I’m grateful for Lucretia’s work and this book. I first learned of her by chance online. When I saw her, I felt represented. No one that I had previously seen looked like me or provided the information I was longing for. Then I saw that she wrote a book and I could preorder it. I immediately purchased it. A lot of these reviews seem angry. But I’m overjoyed. Maybe I’m too new to this. But if I am, and you, the reader of this review , are new too, then don’t hesitate to start here. Life is about continually learning. We constantly take in information. Chew the meat and spit out the fat. Or in my case, eat the orange and make a simmer pot with the peel :-D Apparently my healing is to be given through cooking. Lucretia’s recipes are amazing. And like I said, I see my future in her. She’s paving a way that I’m happy to glean from.

[Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended read. What I really appreciated about this book was the "reclamation and remembering" and honoring of the Ancestrors elements, as well as energetic healing aspects of plant medicine.

For those who have learned plant medicine and food ways at the apron strings of their grandparents, like this author, it is a privilege to learn from them and they have my gratitude. Thank you.

I hope Lucretia VanDyke keeps writing and publishing. I will look for her writing in the future.

I am not a podcast listener at present, but this kind of content would do well in that format due to its alignment with the oral storytelling tradition of sharing knowledge through the generations in this way.

This was the first herbal book I have read as an audiobook. Reader Sanya Simmons has a nice voice and reading style. Based on many other reads, I was initially concerned that I would miss too much content if there were detailed instructions or recipes. It was fine, but I will say that when there are long plant descriptions one after another, it is helpful to name the plant a number of times throughout the description so as to realign the reader with each plant teaching (instead of naming it once in the subject heading and thereafter referring to each plant as "it"). I will likely revisit this content in book form to make sure I caught all valuable information and can thoroughly review the citations and sourcing for my learning journey.

Thank you again.

[Joy (Maat) Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the practicality of this book. Many times I’ve felt overwhelmed by the information of some herbal books even as a practitioner myself. The storytelling, history, recipes, and interviews were warm, real and valuable. As an African American practitioner I know the importance of “archiving” our journey and it feels so good to know that their are others who are doing the same so that we regain and sustain our narratives as healers. This book reignited my own magic and forgotten wellness practices!

I think the critics are not considering that Folk traditions and culture are not to be measured against popular culture or popular opinion. There is always room to argue about the accuracy of history and what is factual especially when referring to the history of any within the African diaspora and we know why. Also and I applaud any African American storyteller that is doing their due diligence to share their story through authorship with reverence to others before them.

[Rosalyn Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a thoughtful exploration of the rich history and cultural practices of herbalism within the African American community. This book weaves together tradition, healing, and resilience, showing how plants have been used not just for medicine but as tools for survival, connection, and empowerment.

As someone who’s making herbalism a focus for 2025, this book felt personal and deeply inspiring. It’s packed with practical tips, historical context, and recipes that make it perfect for beginners like me who are looking to grow herbs and incorporate plant medicine into their lives.

I also appreciated how it made me think about travel—not just to new places but to a deeper understanding of my own roots and cultural heritage.

Highly recommend this to anyone curious about herbal remedies, history, or simply looking for ways to connect more with the earth and themselves. I can’t wait to start growing herbs and experimenting with what I’ve learned.

[Bri Medina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives a different perspective to herbalism, especially African American herbalism in southern states. Learned about past herbalist and current herbalist. Gives a lot of information about traditional rituals. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in African American history, herbalism or the history about the south.

[Dia Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10 no notes. This book has inspired me so much especially to incorporate other practices in my herbalism, especially my religious practices. I think this is the book on African American herbalism and folk magic, and should be read by every POC in herbalism, just for the fact of incorporating spirituality and ancestors into your practice.

[Sarah Kellogg · Rating 3 out of 5]

The history was very eye opening. I had a few takeaways. I skipped a few chapters that touched on things I do not believe in. It was a short read. Overall my biggest takeaway was that many herbalists focused on a few herbs. I get so overwhelmed by all the different things. The idea of just specializing in what I already have and learning how to use those is a very freeing thought.

[Amanda Moore]

Not rating this one because it just wasn’t my cup of tea, but that’s no reflection on the quality of the book. Read it for African American lit book club. Interesting subject matter, and I try to keep an open mind about these things, but they’ve never spoken to me the way they do to some people. Tried to think of it from an environmental perspective

[Ikeoma Divine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book reminded me of talking to my elder neighbors in the South. It's full of history, recipes, and stories. I highly recommend it.

[KinkyCurlyNerdy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so mesmerizing and affirming!

[Ash · Rating 1 out of 5]

Alot of misinformation and stealing other cultures traditions claiming it as African heritage not enough herbal information. Cant recommend

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding. A must read for anyone interested in Herbalism. A book that you will want to have on your bookshelf for years and be able to reference.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. I refer back to it often and love the way it was written. It was easy to read and taught me a lot of new information on the subject.

[Mika Mapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction to herbalism. Very accessible and I appreciated the pacing of the book. Thank you Lucretia!

[Violet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so in love with this book and it opened my eyes to pay attention to my surroundings

[Rene · Rating 5 out of 5]

very informative and add to my book shelf

[kai · Rating 5 out of 5]

for my black budding & flourishing herbalists & medicine people

[Lisaly Munoz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so informative and I have truly learned so much knowledge that I apply to my everyday life . Remember what our ancestors would use to cure ourselves

[Imani Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who is Gullah this is so healing to know where my roots lie in this because I have always known of things we “just do” but not the history. Will definitely be studying up

[Linda Muhammad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful!

I so enjoyed this book. It will be a great resource for my library. I loved the interviews near the end of the book.