Why am I passionate about this?

I’m an herbalist, writer, and founder of Botanical Culture, a new compendium of plants and the people who cultivate them. I love helping people find the best herbs to support their health and well-being, whether by consulting, research and writing, or teaching workshops. After training at an herbalism school and more than a decade of growing and foraging, I’m still wonderstruck every time I walk into a garden or browse an apothecary. Great books about herbs inspire the same feeling of reverence for our oldest healing traditions and put the power of nature within reach. 


I wrote

Nature's Remedies: An Illustrated Guide to Healing Herbs

By Jean Willoughby, Katie Shelly (illustrator),

Book cover of Nature's Remedies: An Illustrated Guide to Healing Herbs

What is my book about?

Throughout history, herbs have been used medicinally to promote healing and vitality. This beginner-friendly guide welcomes a new generation to…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Art & Practice of Spiritual Herbalism: Transform, Heal, and Remember with the Power of Plants and Ancestral Medicine

Jean Willoughby Why did I love this book?

As a child in Guyana, Rose was steeped in African, Caribbean, and Latin American healing traditions. Trained in Eastern and Western herbal medicine, she is a master herbalist and owner of Sacred Vibes Apothecary. Her first book brims with insights that guide her work to unite “plants, ancestral practices, and community.” Rose affirms that spiritual herbalism is based on “a relational vision of health, with the understanding that we cannot heal alone in a vacuum.” I love how her use of stories, recipes, and daily practices makes healing with herbs accessible and enjoyable. With chapters organized by major body systems, Rose builds the reader’s knowledge of how physical systems work, insight into the sources of imbalance, and confidence to embark on a path of transformative well-being. 

By Karen M. Rose,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Art & Practice of Spiritual Herbalism as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Discover how to utilize the magic of plants and diasporic ancestral practices in remedies and ritual.

What if plants could be used to guide the process of transformation? What if you knew which rituals and plants could be partnered to alleviate physical symptoms or heal emotional and spiritual imbalances? How can plants help you stand in your power, strengthen your intuition, and provide protection? In The Art & Practice of Spiritual Herbalism, leading Black herbalist Karen Rose provides the answers you seek.

This guide to harnessing the power of plants is a practical tool for working through the symptoms of…


Book cover of The Green Pharmacy: The Ultimate Compendium Of Natural Remedies From The World's Foremost Authority On Healing Herbs

Jean Willoughby Why did I love this book?

Dr. Duke was a legend in the worlds of herbalism and botany, a field in which he not only earned a doctorate but made his life’s work. After immersing himself for many years in the Amazonian rainforest and Central America, he went on to create Dr. Duke’s Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases at the USDA. Traveling widely to find plants with anti-cancer activity, Duke and his team documented the chemical properties of thousands of species. His bestseller is stocked with remedies for more than a hundred of the most common ailments. Among the most accessible herbals for a general audience, this book is delightfully written, scientifically sound, and quite funny. With warmth, wit, and abundant good reason, Duke describes why and how to make your own natural medicine cabinet.

By James A. Duke,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Green Pharmacy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Green Pharmacy- The Ultimate Compendium Of Natural Remedies From The World's Foremost Authority On Healing Herbs by Duke,James A.. [1998] Paperback


Book cover of Iwígara: American Indian Ethnobotanical Traditions and Science

Jean Willoughby Why did I love this book?

Delving into the most significant herbs among Indigenous peoples of North America, Dr. Salmón revels in the stories that stitch plants into the memory of a culture. The result is an engaging repertoire of 80 beloved and well-illustrated herbs. Dr. Salmón, an ethnobotanist and professor, has marinated each entry in this beautiful book in a lifetime of learning from people who have profound knowledge of their homelands. Its title is inspired by his own tribe, the Rarámuri (Tarahumara) of the Mexican Sierra Madres, whose concept of iwígara reflects the understanding that all of life is interconnected and “shares the same breath.” I love the spirit of this book with its focus on narrative and come-sit-by-the-fire storytelling. If you’re hungry for the action and poetry of a good story heaped onto a plate of botanical legend and lore, this book is for you. 

By Enrique Salmón,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Iwígara as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Iwigara, when translated, means the kinship of plants and people. And that is exactly what Enrique Salmon explores in this important book. Iwigara shares culturally specific information about 80 plants, addressing their historical and modern-day uses as medicine, food, spices, and more. Iwigara includes plants entries derived from many different American Indian tribes and seven geographic regions across the United States. Each plant entry includes the names commonly used by different tribes, a colour photograph, a short description, rich details about how the plant is used, and tips on identification and ethical harvest. Traditional stories and myths, along with images…


Book cover of The Male Herbal: The Definitive Health Care Book for Men and Boys

Jean Willoughby Why did I love this book?

This book has been borrowed from me and not returned twice, so I suppose that says it all. It’s also the reason my third copy is an e-book. Once you read Green’s excellent guide, you’ll understand why two otherwise honorable men found the need to hang on to it. With its accessible model of male physical systems and insight into common stressors, Green’s book is a revelation on male health and illness. The ultimate goal of this book is not simply to remedy this or that ailment but more broadly to help men and boys create a personalized approach to wellness based on their body type and needs. Its alphabetical herb list and tasty recipes make this a handy reference as well. May it have a long off-the-shelf life in the home of any man who wants to heal and thrive. 

By James Green,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Male Herbal as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this long-awaited second edition of THE MALE HERBAL, James Green gives men and boys the tools they need to create or maintain physical and emotional health through a customized herbal program. By following Green's newly developed constitutional model and referencing the comprehensive alphabetical herbal listings, men can create an herbal program attuned to their unique body type, lifestyle, and health needs. Featuring life-changing information about common plants, herbal alternatives to Viagra, medicinal uses of herbs for male-specific issues, and nearly thirty recipes for teas, tinctures, salves, and tonics, this updated guide emphasizes prevention and health with sensitivity and wisdom.


Book cover of Hormone Intelligence: The Complete Guide to Calming Hormone Chaos and Restoring Your Body's Natural Blueprint for Well-Being

Jean Willoughby Why did I love this book?

Drawing on more than three decades of experience, Dr. Romm has written an essential guide to female health and wellness. For Romm, herbs hold pride of place in the art and science of healing. As a midwife, herbalist, and board-certified family physician with a specialty in women’s health and obstetrics, her work combines a deep understanding and respect for both traditional herbal medicine and Western allopathic medicine. Anyone who wants to better understand or address specific female health issues will benefit from this revelatory book. Anyone who wants to integrate herbs into their lifestyle will enjoy the book’s abundant tips, meal plans, and 6-week action plan. Dr. Romm’s big-hearted and encouraging style will leave readers feeling committed to charting a course for better health at any age.

By Aviva Romm,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Hormone Intelligence as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER * #1 GLOBE AND MAIL BESTSELLER * USA TODAY BESTSELLER

You are not broken. Being a woman is not a diagnosis. Take your body back with the groundbreaking new science for women in Hormone Intelligence.

Hormonal. We all know what it means when we hear it - and feel it. While hormonal shifts are natural throughout women's lives, too many experience distressing period symptoms, struggle daily with PCOS, endometriosis, a fertility challenge, pain, low sex drive, sleep problems, acne, bloating, hot flashes, and more - all due to hormone-related problems.…


Explore my book 😀

Nature's Remedies: An Illustrated Guide to Healing Herbs

By Jean Willoughby, Katie Shelly (illustrator),

Book cover of Nature's Remedies: An Illustrated Guide to Healing Herbs

What is my book about?

Throughout history, herbs have been used medicinally to promote healing and vitality. This beginner-friendly guide welcomes a new generation to the trusted tradition. Engagingly written for a wide audience, it presents richly detailed profiles of 60 herbs, including cultural history, uses, tips, and beautiful watercolor illustrations.  

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What Walks This Way: Discovering the Wildlife Around Us Through Their Tracks and Signs

By Sharman Apt Russell,

Book cover of What Walks This Way: Discovering the Wildlife Around Us Through Their Tracks and Signs

Sharman Apt Russell Author Of What Walks This Way: Discovering the Wildlife Around Us Through Their Tracks and Signs

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Explorer Runner Mother

Sharman's 3 favorite reads in 2024

What is my book about?

Nature writer Sharman Apt Russell tells stories of her experiences tracking wildlife—mostly mammals, from mountain lions to pocket mice—near her home in New Mexico, with lessons that hold true across North America. She guides readers through the basics of identifying tracks and signs, revealing a landscape filled with the marks left by browsing deer, predatory weasels, and inquisitive bears, skunks, and raccoons. Master tracker Kim A Cabrera provides photos and illustrations.

Winner of the prestigious John Burroughs Medal, Russell also writes about community, a sense of place, and a renewed connection with the nonhuman world. She explores the health of…

What Walks This Way: Discovering the Wildlife Around Us Through Their Tracks and Signs

By Sharman Apt Russell,

What is this book about?

Did a red fox pass this way? Could that be a bobcat print there in the dirt? Do those tracks belong to a domestic dog or a coyote? Combining lyrical memoir with an introduction to wildlife tracking, What Walks This Way explores the joys of learning to recognize the traces of the creatures with whom we share our world.

The nature writer Sharman Apt Russell tells stories of her experiences tracking wildlife-mostly mammals, from mountain lions to pocket mice-near her home in New Mexico, with lessons that hold true across North America. With wit and compassion, she guides readers through…


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