How to Forage for Medicinal Plants Without Dying: An Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Identifying 32 Healing Wild Herbs

Discover the healing properties of wild plants, with this accessible, photographic guide for the beginning forager.

Author Brandon Ruiz shares his expertise in the world of plant medicine, offering clear, concise descriptions of edible wild plants, as well as critical information about proper harvesting and processing. Ruiz has curated the plant selection to include the most common, most helpful healing plants, ranging from Japanese knotweed and horsetail to chickweed, bee balm, mimosa, wild rose, kudzu, and more.

With Ruiz’s expert advice and easy-to-follow guidelines, readers will be confident in identifying which plants they can safely collect and which ones they should definitely avoid. Each plant profile includes:

• Clear ID photos, with close-ups of leaves, flowers, and fruit
• Guidance on where to find each plant, from its range to the types of environments it typically grows in
• Information on the plant’s medicinal usages
• Directions on how to harvest it and the best medicinal preparations

Also includes simple, adaptable recipes for plant-based medicines, from soothing teas to powerful tinctures. This is the essential beginners’ guide to foraging and using medicinal plants--and staying alive while doing it.

Brandon Ruiz (he/him) is a community herbalist and urban farmer and runs Yucayeke Farms, a farming project focusing on providing equal and affordable access to herbal medicine and culturally-relevant foods to his community. He specializes in medicines of his native Puerto Rico, throughout the Caribbean and Appalachia. He has taught throughout the world at conferences, school programs, universities, individually organized centers, and in one-on-one programs. Ruiz is based in Charlotte, NC.