Herbal medicine is the oldest form of healthcare known to humankind and the use of plants as medicine is older than recorded history. The history of herbalism began when our ancestors began using plants through trial and error as they observed the great diversity of plants around them.  For these people plants provided food, shelter, clothing and medicine.  Much of what they learned seemed to be through observation of the wild animals.  Much of todays herbal information may have been derived from the herbal knowledge of these native peoples.

Our more modern herbal medicine has its basis dating back to Greek medicine with histories famous doctors like Hippocrates (ca. 460 BC – ca. 370 BC) and Galen AD 129 –ca. 200 or 216).

Many of our drugs today were originally derived from plants.  Aspirin as an example was derived from salicylic acid in meadowsweet herb and white willow bark.  Long before there were antibioics, there was Echinacea - the purple coneflower.  Echinacea has been proven to stimulate the production of white blood cells which boosts the immune system to help the body fight disease.

Throughout the Middle Ages medicinal herb gardens were routinely grown, carefully cared for and used extensively.  Herbal healing was passed from mother to daughter or herbal teacher to apprentice.

According to The World Health Organization (WHO), 80% of the world population presently use herbal medicine for part of or as their primary health care.  Even though the United States is one of the few countries where herbal healing is not recognized and was nearly lost, in the past few decades there has been a huge resurgence of this lost art and science.