These are the books, schools, and teachers I return to. The ones I would hand a friend who was just starting to ask questions, and the ones I still reach for now.

I am not an expert. I am a student who has been at this long enough to know which voices are worth listening to. This page will keep growing as I do.

Schools and Programs:

Herbal Academy
Online herbal education for every level, from true beginner to more advanced study. One of the most thorough and accessible programs I have found. A solid place to start if you are not sure where to begin.

Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine
Based in the Southern Appalachians, practically the same mountains I call home. Juliet Blankespoor's program is rigorous, plant focused, and deeply rooted in this specific landscape. I have a lot of respect for what she has built.

Wild Herb Academy
Herbalism with a wildcrafting and folk medicine focus. A good fit if you are drawn to learning plants in their natural habitat and working with what the land provides.

People Worth Following:

Rosemary Gladstar
The grandmother of modern American herbalism. Her books, her teaching, and her decades of work advocating for plant medicine have shaped nearly everyone in this field, including me. Start with her. You will not regret it.

Books I Trust:

Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs, A Beginner's Guide
The best starting point I know. Clear, warm, practical, and written with genuine love for the plants. If someone had handed me this when I started, I would have cried with relief.

The Herbal Medicine Maker's Handbook by James Green
The reference book I still reach for. Detailed guidance on making tinctures, salves, teas, and more. Practical, thorough, and humble in the best way.

Healing Wise by Susun Weed
Unconventional and a little wild, which is exactly why it matters. Her approach to plants as teachers rather than tools changed how I think about this work.

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