Creating an Herbal Apothecary at Home

Posted by Lindsay Kluge on Wednesday, October 26, 2022
Herbal Apothecary

Herb collections are like personal potion shops, with hundreds and hundreds of possibilities for formulas and remedies. Slowly curating your own home apothecary should be a gradual process. This makes your herbal choices, supplies and needs very intentional. In my clinical dispensary, I had about seventy five herbs in stock throughout the seasons. In my home apothecary, however, I keep it to roughly ten. I personally prefer to stick to a small number of herbs that I know intimately and precisely for their generous number of uses, and mix and match as I need.  The herbs you rely on in your apothecary at home is entirely up to you.

Read More: An Herbalists Guide to Stocking Your Apothecary

Over the years, I’ve had lots of people ask me where to start when they want to cultivate their own home apothecary for their every day health needs. It’s so fun to create a little nook in your home with your remedies and herbs and spices and teas and tinctures to play with and actually use for good old fashioned preventative and acute care. Like I say – herbal medicine is amazingly simple and also amazingly complex. Starting your own herbal collection at home doesn’t have to be done in one fell swoop – it’s a process. A process depending on what you and your family’s needs are. I would break down what herbs to invest in by category and action, and then start trying them out yourself to see which are the most effective for you. Here are some basic botanical herbal actions to pick and choose from (although not nearly a complete list):

Herbal Actions For Your Home Apothecary

Adaptogen (increases endurance and resistance to stress)

Ashwagandha, Holy Basil, Licorice, Milky Oat Tops, Nettle

Analgesics (Pain relieving)

Skullcap, ashwagandha

Antispasmodics (prevents and relieves spasms)

Chamomile, Peppermint, Skullcap, Yarrow, Wild Yam

Anti-inflammatory

Ashwagandha, Chamomile, Cinnamon, Holy Basil, Nettle, Turmeric, Yarrow

Anti-microbial

Chamomile, Elderberries, Yarrow, Ginger, Goldenseal

Bitters

Chamomile, Gentian, Dandelion leaf

Carminative (soothes digestion, relieves gas & bloating)

Fennel, Cardamom, Chamomile

Demulcent (to soothe inflamed tissues)

Marshmallow, Slippery Elm bark

Expectorant (increases the elimination of excess mucus)

Mullein, Wild Cherry, Thyme

Hepatic (liver protecting)

Burdock, Dandelion root, Turmeric, Reishi

Immune Stimulant (to acutely increase immune activity)

Echinacea root, Elderberries

Immune Modulator (to balance and support the immune system)

Astragalus, Reishi, Elderberries, Turmeric 

Lymphatic

Calendula

Nutritive

Alfalfa, Nettle, Slippery Elm, Milky Oat, Reishi

Sedative/anxiolytic (calms the body and nervous system)

Chamomile, Ashwagandha, Skullcap, Passionflower, Valerian, Kava kava, Lemon balm

Stimulant (increases circulation and breaks through obstructions)

Ginger, Turmeric, Rosemary


Herbal Apothecary

How to Store Herbs

This is important if you plan on keeping your herbs for any length of time. Herbs, like food, have a shelf life much dependent on the manner in which they’re kept.

Rule #1 – keep them out of direct sunlight (this causes them to break down and “age” more quickly).

Rule #2 – dried herbs for tea and infusions must be stored and kept completely dry. Moisture is the kiss of death to most herbs. Make sure they’re good and dry if you’re harvesting and drying your own.

Rule #3 – store loose herbs in air tight (preferably glass) containers like mason jars or amber glass bottles. Air oxidizes herbs over time, making them break down more quickly.

Rule #4 – LABEL YOUR JARS. I know you think you’ll remember them, and your sense of smell is keen and unmatched…but you probably won’t. Label the herb (common and botanical name), the date you collected or packaged it, and where it came from.

Extra Tools For Your Herbal Apothecary

Most of the items below (and lots of extras!) can be found at Mountain Rose Herbs.

Small and large ball jars or amber glass jars, mortar and pestle, empty heat-and-seal tea bags or muslin bags, base oils for infused oils (I like apricot kernel oil, olive oil, sesame oil or grape seed oil), beeswax and butters for salve making, digital kitchen scale (weighing in grams), and 1 ounce and 2 ounce dropper bottles for travel sized tinctures.

Documenting Your Materia Medica

When you try an herb for the first time (or even the tenth time), write down your experience with it in your own materia medica journal. Keeping an herb journal will help you refine your apothecary to keeping and utilizing only the most effective herbs and combinations of herbs that work well for what you need. It’s easy to have a ramshackle apothecary that quickly becomes messy, unorganized and filled with expired or unused herbs. Keeping track and routinely rotating and freshly stocking your supply is made much simpler when you keep track of your herbs and your relationship with them.

Herbal Apothecary

Now What? For even more apothecary fun, read my Guide to Herbal Formulating.

Begin your own herbal medicine studies with the super comprehensive Introductory Herbal Course with the Herbal Academy, or deepen your knowledge even further with the Clinical Herbalist Package and really take off!

Herb Stock Lists

Dried Herbs (for tea, infusions and decoctions)

  • Alfalfa
  • Ashwagandha
  • Astragalus
  • Calendula
  • Cardamom
  • Chamomile
  • Cinnamon
  • Dandelion leaf & root
  • Echinacea tops and root
  • Elderberries
  • Fennel
  • Ginger
  • Hawthorn
  • Hibiscus
  • Holy Basil
  • Lavender
  • Lemon Balm
  • Licorice
  • Marshmallow root
  • Milky Oat Tops
  • Mullein
  • Nettle Leaf
  • Peppermint
  • Raspberry leaf
  • Rosemary
  • Sage
  • Skullcap
  • Slippery Elm bark
  • Thyme
  • Triphala
  • Yarrow
If you do not have access to local sources of these herbs (or you can't grow your own), reputable online sources to purchase them include Zack WoodsMountain Rose Herbs, Oregon's Wild Harvest, Avena Botanicals, and Starwest Botanicals.

Herbal Tinctures (hydroalcoholic extracts)

  • Ashwagandha
  • Astragalus
  • Burdock
  • Cardamom
  • Chamomile
  • Chaste Tree
  • Dandelion root
  • Echinacea
  • Eyebright
  • Fennel
  • Ginger
  • Gentian
  • Goldenseal
  • Gotu Kola
  • Hawthorn
  • Holy Basil
  • Kava Kava
  • Lemon Balm
  • Licorice
  • Linden
  • Nettle
  • Milky Oat
  • Passionflower
  • Reishi
  • Skullcap
  • Valerian
  • Wild Cherry
  • Wild Yam
If you're not making your own, you can purchase from reputable online herbal companies including Herb Pharm, Gaia Herbs, Oregon's Wild Harvest, Urban Moonshine, Mountain Rose Herbs and Wise Woman Herbals.

This post contains affiliate links. Ginger Tonic Botanicals might earn a small commission on the goods purchased through those links.