From Root to Soot: A Beginner's Guide to Herb Harvest
One of, if not the most common obstacle people face when it comes to herbalism is sheer overwhelm. As with most things, it’s easy to look at the grand setups of professionals and feel discouraged in your humble beginnings. Elegant shelves, rows upon rows of identical and neatly labelled jars full of plants, a litany of books on display, and herb bundles hanging from every surface. Those things are beautiful. But they are not necessary, nor necessarily practical. For all its appeal, the elaborate and aesthetic can be misleading, because it poses a basic question no one seems to be answering.
“Where do I even start?”
This article is intended to be a comprehensive guide for the beginner herbalist, walking you through each step, from that initial spark of interest to having wild-grown, freshly harvested plants in your home.
The First Steps
Let me begin with an unavoidable truth. Certain herbs can and will kill you. That isn’t meant to scare you off, of course. It is entirely possible to use herbs safely, but you need to be aware of the danger in order to avoid it. Herbal medicine is still medicine, and it’s important to keep in mind that each body will react differently to medicine. The chemical components of each herb interact with the body and with each other, the same way manufactured pharmaceuticals do. I won’t be talking about herbal interactions in-depth here, and I strongly recommend you do your own research in the matter, as you know your body and health best.
This leads into a topic we’ll be examining at length. Plant identification. A positive ID is not just desirable when working with herbs. It is essential. It can make a critical difference between relieving your joint pain (yarrow, Achillea millefolium) and death (poison hemlock, Conium maculatum).
Are you able to tell them apart at a glance? One of them’s lethal.
Unless you are 100% certain of a plant’s identity, do not touch it. You can always return once you’ve confirmed it is safe to handle and harvest it then.
Your first step to identifying with confidence is learning about the plants that grow in your area: native and invasive both. There exist a plethora of resources, both online and in print that one can turn to; blogs, videos, field guides, foraging books, you name it. Of course, you will need to verify and cross-reference any information, especially if it sounds questionable. Do not put yourself at risk by ingesting something before you’re sure you know and understand it.
Compile a list of the plant life in your area, gather information about them, get to know them. The common and latin name of each plant, what it looks like, its life cycle, its behaviour, the folklore surrounding it. All this information will help you when you go out in the field. I suggest picking 5-10 herbs to start with, and really diving into those, before you branch out into more. That way, you can figure out a research and catalogue system that works for you without getting overwhelmed by how many beautiful plants there are to learn about.
At this point, I feel it imperative to mention the importance of scientific names, and explain why you should learn and use them. First, two or more plants can have the same or a similar common name, but be entirely different, whether in appearance or chemical composition. There exist a large amount of thistles, for example, some of which are cultivated for consumption (like the artichoke) whereas others are considered noxious on account of their sharp thorns, large size and utterly bitter taste. How can you know which kind to gather? Furthermore, some plants are called thistles simply for having thorns, even if they’re not in the thistle family, like the blessed thistle. Not to be confused with the blessed milk thistle, which is indeed a thistle. See how it can get mixed up? Now if I were to say Silybum marianum, you’d know exactly which plant I mean.
After you have completed your initial research, it is time to get your hiking boots on, because you’re going out in the wild. Or at least a few blocks around your house, depending on where you live. Armed with the knowledge you have accumulated, and a field guide or a portable dictionary of herbs, it is time to go out and put yourself to the test. See how many plants you can recognise, if you can name their medicinal properties or remember their lore, and make a note of the ones that grab your attention. Now, don't expect to get every single one right on your first try, even if you hyper-focused on research for five hours. Professionals can forget things too; that's why we keep thorough notes.
Preparations
You’ve familiarised yourself with the local flora, you’re confident you can tell edible herbs apart from dangerous lookalikes, you mostly know when each plant is in season. You feel ready! Now what? It’s time to gather the tools of the trade- and don’t you panic. You truly do not need an elaborate setup to dry your own herbs or create tinctures and salves. Chances are, you already have a modest jar collection, and if you don’t, it’s easy enough to wash out sauce jars and reuse them. You will also need pruning shears and a pair of garden gloves. That’s it. You can use plastic bags to bring the herbs home, and dry them hanging. You don’t need a fancy dehydrator (have you seen the price tag on those things?!) but if your house is humid or it’s cold, you’ll want to use the oven to dry them so they don’t rot. If you will be handling plant matter that is not safe to ingest, I would suggest using a different cutting board than the one you use for your meals.
It is recommended that you keep herbs away from sunlight, humidity and areas that gather dust easily, such as near windows or doorways. For drying herbs, you’ll want to hang them in a well ventilated and fairly warm space. The warmer the environment, the faster they’ll dry. As far as the sun goes, I’ve had no problems hanging herbs outside to dry during the summer, but I would still recommend that you keep herb jars away from direct light. For tinctures, oils and the like, being kept in near-darkness is mandatory.
In Action
It’s finally time! You’ve got your workspace all set up, you know what plants you need, when and how to harvest them, what to do with each one once you’ve got your hands on them, but before you lose yourself in the glee; let’s talk about foraging etiquette.
While there is no official, legally binding document, there are some agreed-upon guidelines foragers adhere to while out in the field. Their intention is to preserve the stability of the natural environment and show respect for the flora and fauna of the area.
Take only what you need. Always keep in mind to leave enough for others, whether that is animals or other foragers. You can always go back if you feel uncertain about whether your supply will last, but do not over-harvest.
Think ahead. Avoid harvesting from small patches or immature plants, and leave enough foliage on the plant for it to be able to grow back. Typically, the maximum recommended harvest amount is one third of the plant’s size. It’s not worth eradicating the plant because you couldn’t wait for it to grow larger. Always keep the wellbeing of the ecosystem in mind.
Foraging requires care and respect for the Land. The Land provides with generosity, and it is your responsibility to ensure your interactions are balanced. This connection, once established, is mutually beneficial, but it takes time for a beginner herbalist to form such a bond if they haven’t been raised with that reverence. You may find you ran out of this herb you love when its season has long since passed, or worse yet, that you missed a plant entirely. Do not strive for perfection. You will continue to learn as you grow, and find a rhythm compatible with the way you practise herbalism. Embrace your missteps, and use them as motivation to do better the next season.
the Author
Erebos is a Greek archaeologist, herbalist and folk magician with a focus on death and spirit work.
To find more content by Erebos, their Instragram and other socials, as well as information on readings, can be found on Linktree (click for the link).