The Pioneers of Herbalism in America: From Indigenous Roots to Modern Schools and Teas

Indigenous Roots

Centuries before European arrival, Native American tribes universally cultivated deeply rooted botanical wisdom. The Cherokee relied on black cohosh for reproductive health and boneset for fevers; Lakota peoples used echinacea for infections and snakebites; the Navajo applied sagebrush and juniper in healing rituals to name just a few. These traditions were grounded not only in botanical efficacy, but also in spiritual and ecological relationships—understanding plants as integral parts of life and community. Many early settlers in the "new world" observed and adopted unknown remedies like ginseng, goldenseal, and willow bark (an early precursor to aspirin), blending indigenous-based herbal practices into early American folk medicine.

Another important influence and guide for early American colonists was the well-known herbal classic, Culpeper's Complete Herbal, written in 1653 by English physician Nicholas Culpeper, which many colonists brought with them to the new world.

Samuel Thomson and the Botanical Movement

In the early 19th century, self-taught herbalist Samuel Thomson of New Hampshire launched the American Botanical Movement. Influenced by indigenous native people's practices and rejecting harsh interventions like bloodletting and mercury (calomel) "treatments", he promoted heat therapies, steam baths, and stimulating herbs—notably cayenne and lobelia—for restoring vital balance. His 1822 publication New Guide to Health; or, Botanic Family Physician empowered ordinary families to rely on local plant remedies, challenging the authority of institutional medicine and leaving a populist mark on American herbalism.

The Eclectics & Herbal Industry

Out of Thomson’s movement emerged the Eclectic physicians—first championed by Dr. Wooster Beach—who combined botanicals with a growing scientific sensibility. These botanic based physicians published the comprehensive King’s American Dispensatory, written by Dr. John King, and later updated and republished by Dr. Harvey Wickes Felter and John Uri Lloyd.  Later these same men founded herbal-focused medical colleges. The Shakers too were influential, and began large-scale cultivation and distribution of botanical remedies. The Lloyd Brothers advanced extraction techniques and established Cincinnati’s Lloyd Library, a lasting repository of herbal knowledge.

Twentieth-Century Classics & Businesses

Herbalism continued in the cultural mainstream via small publications and kitchen recipe books. Jethro Kloss’s Back to Eden (1939) became a folk staple, while D.C. Jarvis published Folk Medicine: A Vermont Doctor's Guide to Good Health ( 1958) . Meanwhile, many American herbal enthusiasts learned from their European counterparts, reading such books as Hilda Leyel's The Magic of Herbs: A Modern Book of Secrets published in England in 1942. Much later, books such as USDA ethnobotanist James A. Duke’s The Green Pharmacy (1997) offered modern, evidence-based herbal guidance.

Commercial companies also tremendously broadened herbal accessibility:

• Alvita Tea Company, founded in 1922, championed single-herb teas like alfalfa, touting them as nutrient-dense “superfoods.”
• Celestial Seasonings (1969, Mo Siegel): Rocky Mountain–harvested teas like Sleepytime brought herbal infusions of herbs such as chamomile and peppermint into mainstream culture.
• Traditional Medicinals (1974, Rosemary Gladstar): Developed accessible formulas like Throat Coat and Mother’s Milk.
• Herb Pharm (1979, Ed Smith): Early proponents of high quality tinctures from ethically sourced and whenever possible, fresh herbs.
• Frontier Co‑op (1976) and Mountain Rose Herbs (1987): Made organic and bulk botanicals available to home herbalists and natural-food stores.

The Herbal Renaissance: Schools, Teachers & Authors

By the 1980s and 90s an entirely new generation of educators and institutions shaped a modern herbalism that catered to a new generation of budding young herbal enthusiasts:

• Rocky Mountain Center for Botanical Studies (Boulder, Colorado): Founded and directed by Feather Jones in the early 1990s; a certified herbal school offering one- to three-year Western herbalism programs.
• School of Natural Healing (Dr. John Christopher, (1953, Springville, Utah): Offered herbalist training and literature.
• California School of Herbal Studies (1978, Rosemary Gladstar).
• East West School of Planetary Herbology (1983, Michael Tierra): Blended Western and Eastern herbal traditions.
• Wise Woman Center (mid-1980s, Susan Weed), featuring her Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year.
• American Herbalists Guild (AHG) (1989): Established professional standards for clinical herbalists.
• NAIMH (North American Institute of Medical Herbalism) founded 1989; began residency training at Rocky Mountain Center in 1996, continuing through Colorado School of Clinical Herbalism after 2003 closure.

Some contemporary prominent pioneering teachers and authors:

• Michael Moore: Author of Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West; Southwest School of Botanical Medicine.
• Christopher Hobbs, Feather Jones, Brigitte Mars, Ryan Drum, Susan Weed, Michael Tierra, David Winston: Notable teachers and authors contributing to educational programs, field guides, and clinical herbalism.
• Rosemary Gladstar, Dr. John Christopher, Jeannie Rose, Christopher Hobbs, Feather Jones, Michael Moore, Cascade Anderson Geller: Blended instruction, field-based learning, and holistic herbal philosophies.
• Mark Blumenthal; editor-in Chief and Publisher of HerbalGram and the founder and executive director of American Botanical Council (ABC)
• Dr. John Bastyr ; Co-founder of Bastyr University (Kenmore, Washington)

Expanded Timeline of American Herbalism

Year / EraEvent or Institution Pre-Colonial Indigenous botanical knowledge (echinacea, black cohosh, sage, etc.)1822 Samuel Thomson publishes New Guide to Health 1830s–50s Eclectics publish King’s American Dispensatory; open schools1830s Shakers begin large-scale medicinal herb cultivation Late 1800s Lloyd Brothers build Lloyd Library in Cincinnati 1922 Alvita Tea Company founded (alfalfa as nutrient-dense tea) 1939 Jethro Kloss publishes Back to Eden 1953 Dr. John Christopher founds School of Natural Healing 1969 Mo Siegel founds Celestial Seasonings, CO 1974 Traditional Medicinals founded 1976 Frontier Co-op established 1978 California School of Herbal Studies (Gladstar) opens 1979 Herb Pharm founded 1980s Moore publishes Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West 1983 East West School of Planetary Herbology (Tierra) opens Mid-1980s Susan Weed’s Wise Woman Center and publication emerge 1987 Mountain Rose Herbs founded 1989 American Herbalists Guild established; NAIMH (North American Institute of Medical Herbalism) founded (Paul Bergner) 1990s Feather Jones creates Rocky Mountain Center for Botanical Studies 1996 NAIMH clinical residencies begin at RMCBS 1997 James Duke publishes The Green Pharmacy 2000s–presentProliferation of herbal schools

Must-Read Herbal Bookshelf

Indigenous & Early American Foundations

• Plants of the Gods – Richard Evans Schultes & Albert Hofmann (classic ethnobotany perspective, including Indigenous traditions).
• Native American Ethnobotany – Daniel Moerman (encyclopedic catalog of traditional plant uses).

19th Century Reformers

• New Guide to Health; or, Botanic Family Physician – Samuel Thomson (1822). The populist herbal text that launched the American Botanical Movement.
• King’s American Dispensatory – John King, Harvey Wickes Felter & John Uri Lloyd (various editions, 1850s–1898). The Eclectic physicians’ monumental herbal reference.

Early 20th Century Folk Classics

• Back to Eden – Jethro Kloss (1939). A Bible-tinged natural health classic, mixing recipes, remedies, and dietary guidance.
• School of Natural Healing – Dr. John R. Christopher (1959). Foundation text of modern Western herbalism in America.

Late 20th Century Renaissance

• Herbal Healing for Women – Rosemary Gladstar (1993) and Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health (2001). Practical, approachable, and beloved.
• Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West – Michael Moore (1979). Witty, precise, and field-ready.
• Planetary Herbology – Michael Tierra (1988). A groundbreaking integration of Western, Chinese, and Ayurvedic frameworks.
• Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year – Susun Weed (1985). A pioneering feminist herbal.
• Herbal Medicine: From the Heart of the Earth – Dr. Sharol Tilgner (1999). Practitioner’s text on tincture-making and formulas.

Popular & Accessible Guides

• The Green Pharmacy – James A. Duke (1997). Scientific yet readable; bridges modern research and folk use.
• The New Age Herbalist – Richard Mabey, et al. (1980s). Illustrated reference, highly accessible for beginners.
• Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West – Michael Moore (1993). Companion to his Mountain West guide.
• Herbal Medicine, Healing & Cancer – Donald Yance (1999). Shows how traditional and modern herbal approaches intersect in complex health challenges.

‍