The subject of healing plants and trees can be a lifelong study, and it’s hard to know where to begin. This is one reason I value the one plant at a time approach. I have no intention of becoming a clinical herbalist, so I don’t need to know all the remedies for all the health issues: but I will benefit from understanding the medicinal properties of my closest plant friends. So, even if you aren’t interested in clinical herbalism per se, it’s valuable to learn about this aspect of your plant ally’s personality.
With the surge in AI books and articles, it’s getting more difficult to find reliable information on the medicinal properties of plants. So be careful about your sources: research any unfamiliar authors or teachers to find out if they are a real human, and to learn the extent of their knowledge and experience.
There are many excellent herbal education resources out there, and I don’t pretend to have extensive knowlege of them. I’ve limited the following list to books and wesbsites which feature a number of single plant monographs: there’s a good chance one of them will have information on your ally. Also, I’m only sharing resources I’m familiar with: it certainly doesn’t mean there aren’t other excellent resources out there. Consider my list a jumping off point, and feel free to explore on your own as well.
And don’t feel the need to run out and purchase a pile of books on herbalism: the websites listed here are free, and your local library might have some of the books on the list.
Blogs with Plant Monographs:
Mountain Rose Herbs Blog (you’ll have to search for your plant friend)
Matthew Wood Institute of Herbalism
She is of the Woods YouTube channel
Books with many plant profiles:
Berger, Judith. Herbal Rituals
Bruton-Seal, Julie, and Matthew Seal. Backyard Medicine: Harvest and Make Your Own Herbal Remedies
de la Forêt, Rosalee. Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine
Salmon, Enrique. Iwigara: American Indian Ethnobotanical Traditions and Science
Scott, Timothy Lee. Invasive Plant Medicine: The Ecological Benefits and Healing Abilities of Invasives
Wood, Matthew. The Book of Herbal Wisdom: Using Plants as Medicine
Wood, Matthew. The Earthwise Herbal, Volume I: A Complete Guide to Old World Medicinal Plants
Wood, Matthew. The Earthwise Herbal, Volume II: A Complete Guide to New World Medicinal Plants
Regional guides:
Timber Press has a series of regional guides to medicinal plants
Free historical herb books:
I don’t necessarily recommend using the information in these books for making medicine. They are, however, fascinating to read, and sometimes contain information about the astrolgoical affiliations of plants, and info on folk practices that married medicine and magick.
Grieves, Maude. A Modern Herbal
Culpeper, Nicholas. Culpeper’s Complete Herbal
I hope this list is helpful to you. And remember, you aren’t going to become an expert on herbalism with this exercise: you’re just learning everything you can about your plant ally.
If you have beloved and trusted resources for information on the medicinal properties of plants, please share them in the comments.
Image of book with flowers by Conger Design, courtesy of Pixabay.
Not sure what the Plant Spirit Ally Challenge is? You can learn more about it here.
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Northwest Witch 
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