A Beginner’s Guide to Common Medicinal Herbs
A Beginner's Guide to Common Medicinal Herbs
Medicinal herbs have been used for generations in traditional wellness practices, and learning about them doesn’t have to be complicated. If you’re new to herbalism, starting with a small collection of familiar, versatile herbs can help you learn how herbs are traditionally prepared and incorporated into everyday routines.
In this beginner’s guide, we’ll explore 10 common medicinal herbs for beginners, including chamomile, peppermint, lavender, echinacea, ginger, turmeric, lemon balm, holy basil, rosemary, and calendula. You’ll learn about their traditional uses, which parts of the plants are commonly used, simple ways to prepare them, and important precautions to consider.
Whether you’re interested in making herbal teas, infusions, tinctures, oils, or other herbal preparations, these beginner-friendly herbs are an excellent place to start building your herbal knowledge.
Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through one of these links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
In This Guide
- What Are Medicinal Herbs?
- 10 Common Medicinal Herbs for Beginners
- How to Choose Quality Herbs
- Easy Ways to Prepare Medicinal Herbs
- Building a Beginner Herbal Pantry
- Herbal Safety Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Are Medicinal Herbs?
Medicinal herbs are plants that have traditionally been used to support health and wellness. Depending on the plant, different parts—including the leaves, flowers, roots, seeds, bark, or berries—may be used in herbal preparations.
Herbs can be prepared in many ways. Some are brewed as teas or infusions, while others are made into tinctures, infused oils, salves, syrups, or culinary preparations. The best preparation method depends on the herb, the plant part being used, and its intended traditional use.
For beginners, it’s usually best to start with a few well-known herbs and learn about each one individually rather than purchasing a large collection at once.
Chamomile
Chamomile is one of the most beginner-friendly herbs to keep in an herbal pantry. The small dried flowers have a mild, slightly sweet flavor and have a long history of traditional use in calming herbal preparations.
Commonly used part: Flowers
Traditional uses: Relaxation, digestive comfort and bedtime herbal preparations.
Easy ways to use it: Chamomile is commonly prepared as an herbal tea or infusion and can also be incorporated into herbal baths, infused oils and skin-care preparations.
Beginner Tip: Chamomile tea is one of the easiest herbal preparations to learn because it requires little more than dried flowers, hot water and a strainer.
Peppermint
Botanical name: Mentha × piperita
Peppermint is a refreshing and versatile herb that is especially easy for beginners to incorporate into an herbal pantry. Its cooling flavor and distinctive aroma make it popular in herbal teas, culinary preparations, and topical herbal products.
Commonly used part: Leaves
Traditional uses: Peppermint has a long history of traditional use in preparations intended to support digestive comfort and general wellness. Its naturally refreshing aroma also makes it a popular addition to soothing herbal blends.
Easy ways to use it: Dried peppermint leaves can be steeped in hot water to make herbal tea, combined with other herbs in tea blends, or incorporated into certain infused herbal preparations.
Beginner Tip: Try peppermint on its own as a simple tea before combining it with other herbs. This gives you an opportunity to become familiar with its flavor and aroma.
Lavender
Botanical name: Lavandula angustifolia
Lavender is well known for its distinctive floral fragrance, but its flowers are also used in a variety of traditional herbal preparations. It’s a useful herb for beginners interested in learning about both aromatic and topical herbal preparations.
Commonly used part: Flowers
Traditional uses: Lavender has traditionally been associated with relaxation and calming herbal practices. It is also commonly incorporated into aromatic and topical preparations.
Easy ways to use it: Lavender flowers can be added to herbal tea blends, herbal baths, sachets, infused oils, and homemade skin-care preparations. When using lavender in foods or beverages, make sure you purchase lavender intended for culinary use.
Beginner Tip: Lavender has a strong flavor and aroma, so a little can go a long way. Start with a small amount when adding it to tea blends or other preparations.
Echinacea
Botanical name: Echinacea purpurea
Echinacea is one of the most recognizable herbs associated with traditional seasonal wellness practices. Several species of echinacea are used in herbalism, and different preparations may use the root, aerial portions of the plant, or both.
Commonly used parts: Root and aerial parts
Traditional uses: Echinacea has a long history of traditional use in herbal preparations associated with seasonal wellness and general immune support.
Easy ways to use it: Echinacea can be prepared as a tea, infusion, or tincture and is often combined with other herbs in seasonal herbal blends.
Beginner Tip: Pay attention to the botanical name and plant part when purchasing echinacea. Different products may contain different echinacea species or portions of the plant.
Ginger
Botanical name: Zingiber officinale
Ginger is an excellent beginner herb because it can be used in both herbal and culinary preparations. Its warm, spicy flavor works especially well in teas, syrups, spice blends, and homemade herbal recipes.
Commonly used part: Rhizome, commonly referred to as ginger root
Traditional uses: Ginger has traditionally been used in preparations associated with digestive comfort and general wellness. It is also commonly enjoyed as a warming herb during colder months.
Easy ways to use it: Fresh or dried ginger can be steeped to make tea, incorporated into herbal syrups, added to herbal blends, or used as a culinary spice.
Beginner Tip: Fresh and dried ginger don’t always behave exactly the same in recipes. Follow the measurements given for the particular form of ginger you’re using.
Turmeric
Botanical name: Curcuma longa
Turmeric is a bright golden-yellow spice that has been used for generations in both culinary and traditional wellness practices. Its earthy flavor makes it particularly useful for beginners who want herbs and spices that can serve multiple purposes in the kitchen.
Commonly used part: Rhizome, commonly referred to as turmeric root
Traditional uses: Turmeric has a long history of use in traditional wellness systems and culinary traditions. It is commonly incorporated into preparations intended to support general wellness.
Easy ways to use it: Turmeric can be incorporated into teas, spice blends, soups, curries, broths, and other foods. It is also frequently combined with ginger and other warming spices.
Beginner Tip: Turmeric’s strong natural pigment can stain countertops, utensils, clothing, and containers, so take extra care when preparing it.
Lemon Balm
Botanical name: Melissa officinalis
Lemon balm is a member of the mint family with a light, pleasant lemon-like aroma. Its mild flavor makes it particularly approachable for beginners and easy to combine with other herbs.
Commonly used part: Leaves
Traditional uses: Lemon balm has traditionally been included in calming herbal preparations and teas intended for relaxation and general well-being.
Easy ways to use it: Dried lemon balm can be prepared as an herbal tea or infusion and combined with herbs such as chamomile, peppermint, or lavender to create custom tea blends.
Beginner Tip: Try lemon balm by itself first, then experiment with combining it with one or two complementary herbs once you’re familiar with its flavor.
Holy Basil/Tulsi
Botanical name: Ocimum tenuiflorum
Holy basil, commonly called tulsi, has a long history of traditional use and is especially popular as an herbal tea. Despite its name, holy basil is different from the sweet basil commonly used in Italian cooking.
Commonly used part: Leaves and aerial parts
Traditional uses: Tulsi has traditionally been used in wellness practices and is commonly enjoyed in herbal preparations associated with relaxation and general well-being.
Easy ways to use it: Tulsi is particularly well suited to herbal teas and infusions. It can be enjoyed by itself or blended with complementary herbs and spices.
Beginner Tip: When shopping for holy basil, you may see it labeled as either holy basil or tulsi. Check the botanical name on the product so you know exactly what you’re purchasing.
Rosemary
Botanical name: Salvia rosmarinus
Rosemary is a familiar culinary herb that also has a long history of traditional herbal use. Because many beginners already recognize its distinctive aroma and flavor, rosemary can be an approachable addition to a first herbal pantry.
Commonly used part: Leaves
Traditional uses: Rosemary has traditionally been incorporated into culinary, aromatic, and topical herbal preparations.
Easy ways to use it: Rosemary can be used in cooking, herbal tea blends, infused oils, herbal hair preparations, and other topical preparations.
Beginner Tip: Because rosemary has a strong flavor, begin with a small amount when experimenting with herbal teas and blends.
Calendula
Botanical name: Calendula officinalis
Calendula’s bright yellow and orange flowers make it one of the most recognizable herbs in a beginner herbal pantry. It is particularly useful for learning about topical herbal preparations such as infused oils and salves.
Commonly used part: Flowers
Traditional uses: Calendula has a long history of traditional use in topical herbal and skin-care preparations.
Easy ways to use it: Dried calendula flowers can be infused into carrier oils and incorporated into homemade salves, balms, and other topical preparations. Calendula can also be found in certain herbal tea blends.
Beginner Tip: Calendula is an excellent herb for practicing how to make your first herbal-infused oil. Once you’ve learned the process, the infused oil can become the base for other preparations such as herbal salves.
How to Choose Quality Herbs
The quality of your herbs can make a noticeable difference when preparing herbal teas, tinctures, infused oils, and other preparations. When purchasing dried herbs, look for reputable suppliers that clearly identify the herb and provide information about sourcing and quality.
Whenever possible, look for:
- The common and botanical name of the herb
- Clearly identified plant parts, such as leaf, root, or flower
- Fresh-looking dried herbs with characteristic color and aroma
- Proper packaging and storage
- Organic options when they’re available and fit your preferences
Buying herbs from a dedicated botanical supplier can also make it easier to find less common herbs and purchase the appropriate quantity for your herbal pantry.
Easy Ways to Prepare Medicinal Herbs
One of the first things new herbalists discover is that there are many ways to turn dried or fresh herbs into useful preparations. You don’t need complicated equipment to get started.
Herbal Teas and Infusions
Teas and infusions are among the simplest herbal preparations. Herbs are steeped in hot water for a period of time before being strained.
Herbal Tinctures
Tinctures are concentrated herbal extracts traditionally made by steeping herbs in alcohol or another appropriate liquid for an extended period.
Infused Herbal Oils
Herbal oils are made by infusing suitable dried herbs into a carrier oil. The finished oil can be used on its own or as an ingredient in preparations such as herbal salves.
Herbal Salves
Salves combine an herbal-infused oil with wax to create a semi-solid topical preparation.
Herbal Syrups
Herbal syrups combine an herbal preparation with a sweetener to produce an easy-to-use liquid preparation.
🌿 FREE HERBAL GUIDE
Herbal Preparations Guide
Ready to start making your own herbal preparations but aren’t sure where to begin?
The Herbal Preparations Guide is a simple, beginner-friendly resource designed to take the confusion out of working with herbs at home. Discover several of the most common ways herbs are traditionally prepared and learn which methods work best for different types of plant material.
Building a Beginner Herbal Pantry
ou don’t need dozens of herbs to begin exploring herbalism. Starting with five or six versatile herbs allows you to learn how each plant looks, smells, tastes, and works in different preparations before expanding your collection.
A simple beginner herbal pantry might include:
Chamomile — teas and infusions
Peppermint — teas and herbal blends
Ginger — teas, syrups and culinary preparations
Calendula — infused oils and topical preparations
Lemon balm — teas and infusions
Rosemary — culinary preparations and infused oils
Store dried herbs in properly labeled airtight containers away from excessive heat, moisture and direct sunlight.
Herbal Safety Tips for Beginners
Start with one herb at a time.
Learning about herbs individually makes it easier to understand how you respond to them.
Research the correct plant and plant part.
Different portions of the same plant aren’t necessarily used interchangeably.
Learn about contraindications and interactions.
Natural doesn’t automatically mean appropriate for everyone. Herbs can interact with medications and may not be suitable for certain medical conditions.
Use extra caution during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Discuss herbal products with an appropriate healthcare professional.
Use additional caution with children.
Not every herb or preparation appropriate for an adult is appropriate for a child.
Follow reliable preparation instructions.
The appropriate amount and preparation method can differ considerably between herbs.
Frequently Asked Questions About Medicinal Herbs
What are the best medicinal herbs for beginners?
Chamomile, peppermint, ginger, calendula, lemon balm and rosemary are among the herbs beginners may find relatively easy to learn about and incorporate into simple herbal preparations.
How many herbs should a beginner buy?
You don’t need a large herbal collection when you’re getting started. Consider choosing three to six versatile herbs and learning their traditional uses, precautions and preparation methods before expanding your herbal pantry.
Where should I buy dried medicinal herbs?
Look for reputable herb and botanical suppliers that clearly identify their products, including the herb, plant part and relevant sourcing information.
→ Shop dried herbs at Starwest Botanicals
Affiliate link here.
How should dried herbs be stored?
Store dried herbs in clean, properly labeled airtight containers in a cool, dry location away from direct sunlight and moisture.
What’s the easiest herbal preparation for beginners?
Herbal teas and infusions are often among the easiest preparations to learn because they require minimal equipment.
Are medicinal herbs safe?
Herbs aren’t automatically safe simply because they’re natural. Appropriate use depends on the specific herb, preparation, amount and individual. Some herbs can interact with medications or may not be appropriate during pregnancy, breastfeeding or for certain health conditions.
Disclaimer
The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or medical condition. The information presented here should not be considered medical advice or used as a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified healthcare professional.
Herbs and herbal preparations may not be appropriate for everyone and may interact with medications or medical conditions. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, taking medications, managing a medical condition, or considering herbal preparations for a child, consult a qualified healthcare professional before use.
Affiliate Disclosure
This article may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through one of these links, Natural Holistic Care may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
