← Pure Herbal WisdomHerbalism 101 · 48 lessons

The Herbalism 101 series

Seven modules that teach the method before the plants — what herbalism actually is, how plants make medicine, how preparation changes potency, what an herbal action means, and how to read the evidence behind any claim. Read them in order or dip into a module.

Start here · Guides

Five hub guides that pull the lessons together by theme. Each one stands on its own, and links into the lessons it covers.

Guide
How to Make Herbal Preparations: Teas, Tinctures, Oils and Salves
The seven core herbal preparation methods, what each one actually extracts, and how to choose between them — from infusions and decoctions to tinctures, infused oils and salves.
7 min read · covers 7 lessons
Guide
Herbal Actions Explained: Adaptogens, Nervines, Bitters and the Rest
What herbalists mean by adaptogen, nervine, bitter, demulcent, astringent, immunomodulator and cardiotonic — the six action classes, their proposed mechanisms, and where the evidence actually sits.
7 min read · covers 6 lessons
Guide
How to Read Herbal Research: Evidence, Studies and the Confidence Scale
How to judge whether an herbal claim is actually supported — the evidence hierarchy, why studies disagree, what 'clinically studied' really means, and the four-tier Confidence Scale.
8 min read · covers 7 lessons
Guide
Beginner Materia Medica: Twelve Herbs, Honestly Rated
Ginger, turmeric, garlic, elderberry, ashwagandha, hawthorn, echinacea, black seed, milk thistle, ginseng, burdock and cinnamon — each with its evidence tier and its specific safety flag.
8 min read · covers 13 lessons
Guide
Herbal Safety: Interactions, Sourcing and When to See a Clinician
The five-category safety checklist, how herb-drug interactions actually work, how to read a supplement label, and the symptoms that mean stop and call a clinician.
7 min read · covers 6 lessons

Module 1 · Foundations

Module 2 · Plant Science

Module 3 · Herbal Preparations

Module 4 · Herbal Actions

Module 5 · Reading Research

Module 6 · Materia Medica

Module 7 · Becoming a Herbalist