Best Herbal Books: Growing Edible and Medicinal Herbs and Plants

A small stack of the best herbal books is something you should consider putting on your list of apocalypse survival gear. These books can provide an array of knowledge that helps you to grow many herbs, which you may use with food, as supplements, or to treat illnesses and injuries, as access to modern medicines during a time like this is impossible.

You can read such books, along with many other types of apocalypse survival literature ahead of time but you can only retain a limited amount of information so having two or three references to turn to is sure to provide many benefits.

Growing

Growing herbs is like anything else, it takes time, knowledge and patience. You need to know the type of herbs that can grow in your region, those that are hardy, how to check for good soil and consider your water source. To do this, you need to read some of the best herbal books and maybe even start growing your own at home to overcome any challenges that may arise.

"The Complete Book of Herbs: A Practical Guide to Growing and Using Herbs," by Lesley Bremness, gives plenty of information on the best ways to grow over a hundred herbs, most of which you may never grow or need to use but at least you have the option.

Another book, rated top amongst other gardeners and herbalists, is Richo Cech's, "The Medicinal Herb Grower," an easy-to-read text that teaches you to grow herbs used specifically for healing purposes.

Healing

When it comes to using herbs for medicinal purposes, you must know what you are doing, as natural does not mean no risk of side effects. Some herbs require proper preparation, like boiling or drying, while others are unsafe to take together or if you have certain medical conditions. You also need to consider the possibility of an allergic reaction, as well as the land from which you obtain or grow the herbs because fungus, molds, pesticides or other chemicals could be present.

To obtain a full understanding of herbs, give proper doses and avoid any potential consequences, consider reading a few of the best herbal books. If you do not know where to begin, David Hoffman offers a wealth of information in his 666-page book entitled, "Medical Herbalism." Published in 2003, it is recent enough to include up-to-date information and covers a wide variety of herbs.

You may also opt for an older but even more thorough book, "A Modern Herbal," written by Mrs. Grieve. The books, as it comes in two volumes, provide just over 900 pages of herbal remedies and 161 illustrations to help you find exactly what you need.

One of the Best Herbal Books

"Hands on Healing Remedies," by Stephanie L. Tourles is another useful herbal guide, as it has treatment options for some of the most basic ailments and injuries that could occur in nature, like bee stings or sun burn. You may also like "Desk Reference to Nature's Medicine," by Steven Foster and Rebecca L. Johnson, which contains many photos and maps showing geographical regions where certain herbs grow.

If you want more specific remedies, you can look for the best herbal books that teach you to treat problems specific to men, children, women in general, as well as during pregnancy, childbirth and menopause.

This is just a small sampling of some of the best herbal books available, though they provide you with a good place to start. Some of the larger texts are not ideal to tote on a journey of survival so you could read them, make notes and compile your own small, light and portable guide of information or you might opt for a short reference guide to refresh your memory.

In either case, just remember to obtain as much information as you can and do not keep these books off your survival list, as they could save a life.

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