What's in this article: The 7 best herbs for you to add to your home apothecary when you're starting out on this path

If you're new to herbal remedies and want to stock your home apothecary with herbs that are effective and reliable, you've come to the right place!

Why These 7 Herbs?

I remember when I first started building my own apothecary, or what I call my herbal medicine cabinet, I had a hard time sorting through all of the information.

While it can seem like a benefit to have all of the information at our fingertips, it can be a lot and sometimes too much.

This list is my attempt at weeding away some of the excess for you and focusing on the plants that you can find in your own backyard, yes even here in Alberta!.

I chose these plants because they can be easily found in most climates of North America, and you could even find them in your own backyard. 

This article will help give you a jumping off point when just starting out, I also highly suggest creating your own list (by what you need, what you observe and what you uncover in your own area).

The 7 Must-Have Herbs For Your Brand New Home Apothecary

1. Yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Herbal Actions

• Astringent: Helps tighten tissues and reduce excess secretions
• Styptic: Can help slow or stop minor bleeding
• Diaphoretic: May promote sweating, beneficial for fevers

Primary Benefits 
Yarrow can be used externally for minor wounds and skin issues due to its astringent, styptic properties to help slow bleeding. It can also be supportive in managing mild fevers by promoting sweating. Often used internally, and historically brewed in teas for cold and flu support.

How to Use

• Tea/Infusion: Steep dried yarrow leaves and flowers in hot water for about 10 minutes.
• Poultice or Compress: Apply fresh crushed leaves to minor cuts or scrapes.
• Tincture: Use a few drops diluted in water to support digestion or manage mild fevers.

Herbalist Tip

• Growing Tips: Yarrow thrives in sunny, well-drained soil and can become invasive if not managed.
• Harvest Time: Pick the flowers and upper leaves when in full bloom.
• Precautions: Some people may experience skin irritation; do a patch test first.

 

2. Wild Rose 

Rosa spp. (e.g., Rosa canina, Rosa rugosa)

Herbal Actions

• Antioxidant: Hips are high in vitamin C and other antioxidants
• Astringent: Mildly tones tissues, can support digestive and skin health

Primary Benefits 
Rose hips are packed with high vitamin C content, supporting immune function and overall vitality. They also lend a gentle, tart flavor to teas and syrups. The petals can be calming and aromatic.

How to Use

• Tea: Remove the seeds, then dry and steep the hips for a tangy, nutrient-rich infusion.
• Syrup/Jam: Simmer rose hips with water and sweetener; strain for a tasty immune-supportive syrup.
• Powder: Dried rose hips can be ground into a powder to add to smoothies or oatmeal.

Herbalist Tip

• Growing Tips: If you have wild roses, harvest hips after first frost in late summer or early fall.
• Precautions: Rose hip seeds can irritate the throat if not removed before consumption.
• Favorite Recipe: Brew a rose hip tea for an immune-friendly boost. I like to brew a few mugs of this a day when I first start getting a tickle in my throat and it helps to stave of that pesky cold or flu.  

3. Red Clover

Trifolium pratense

Herbal Actions

• Alterative (Blood Cleanser): Supports healthy metabolism and elimination
• Phytoestrogenic: Contains compounds that may benefit hormonal balance

Primary Benefits 
Red Clover is often used to support the lymphatic system and promote healthy skin. It’s also traditionally considered balancing for women’s health. It also has very mild expectorant properties. It's flowers add a sweet and earthy note to infusions.

 

How to Use

• Infusion/Tea: Steep the dried blossoms; combine with mint or lemon balm for flavor.
• Salve or Compress: Red clover-infused oil can be used topically for mild skin irritations.
• Tincture: A few drops may support overall wellness and hormonal balance.

Herbalist Tip

• Growing Tips: Red clover is a nitrogen-fixing plant; it enriches soil and grows easily in meadows or garden beds.
• Precautions: If you’re on hormone-related medications, check with a professional before using.
• Harvest Time: Pick blossoms on a dry, sunny day, when they’re fully open but not browned.

4. Dandelion

Botanical name: Taraxacum officinale

Herbal Actions

• Diuretic: Encourages gentle fluid elimination
• Bitter Tonic: Stimulates digestion and liver function

Primary Benefits 
Dandelion supports healthy liver function and digestion through its bitter properties. Both the roots and leaves can be used in herbal preparations or in everyday cooking.

How to Use

• Leaf Salad or Tea: Fresh leaves add a slightly bitter flavor to salads; dried leaves make a mineral-rich tea.
• Root Coffee Substitute: Roasted dandelion root can be brewed as a coffee-like beverage.
• Infusions & Tinctures: Use roots for liver support and digestion.

Herbalist Tip

• Growing Tips: Dandelions grow almost anywhere; harvest from pesticide-free and animal waste free areas.
• Precautions: Avoid plants in areas where chemical weed control is used, where animals defecate, and where traffic exhaust is close by.
• Favorite Recipe: Sauté fresh dandelion greens with garlic and olive oil for a nutrient-dense side dish.

 

5. Plantain

Botanical Name: Plantago major 

Herbal Actions

• Demulcent: Soothes irritated tissues, especially in the digestive and respiratory tracts
• Drawing/Emollient: Can help draw out splinters or soothe insect bites

Primary Benefits 
Plantain leaves are prized for their ability to soothe minor skin irritations. They’re also used internally to calm inflamed mucous membranes.

How to Use

• Poultice: Crush fresh leaves to apply on bug bites or minor wounds.
• Tea/Infusion: Dried leaves can be brewed to soothe digestion.
• Salve: Infuse in oil, then combine with beeswax to create a healing balm.

Herbalist Tip

• Growing Tips: Plantain is a common “weed” in lawns and roadsides; harvest away from traffic or pesticide zones.
• Harvest Time: Pick young leaves for the most potency, the young leaves are always the smallest on the plant.
• Fun Fact: Great for quickly soothing mosquito bites—just chew a leaf and apply the paste to the bite. I've used this in the field when my husband got stung by a Bald-Faced Hornet after rousing their nest under a tarp. It worked for him as long as the chewed plantain was on the stung site, the moment he took it off, it started stinging again.

6. Stinging Nettle

Botanical Name: Urtica dioica

Herbal Actions

• Nutritive: High in vitamins and minerals
• Diuretic: Supports kidney function and gentle cleansing

Primary Benefits 
Stinging nettle is a mineral powerhouse, often used to support healthy hair, nails, and overall vitality. Despite its sting when fresh, once dried or cooked, it becomes a nutritious, tasty herb. Something I have noted in the field is that the late season Stinging Nettle isn't as "stingy".

How to Use

• Infusion: A long steep (4–8 hours) extracts abundant minerals.
• Culinary: Lightly steamed nettle leaves can be used like spinach in soups or pesto.
• Tincture: Taken in small amounts for seasonal allergies or general wellness.

Herbalist Tip

• Harvest Safety: Wear gloves when harvesting fresh, early season nettles to avoid stings. Harvesting is best done before flowering and seeds emerge.
• Where It Grows: Often found in rich, moist soil near rivers or woodland edges.
• Precautions: Some individuals may experience allergic reactions; start with a small amount.

7. Horsetail

Botanical Name: Equisetum arvense

Herbal Actions

• Silica-Rich (Nutritive): Supports healthy hair, skin, nails, and connective tissue
• Diuretic: Assists in gentle fluid elimination

Primary Benefits 
Horsetail is well-known for its high silica content, which can benefit nail and hair health. It also offers mild diuretic effects, helping with urinary tract support.

How to Use

• Infusion: Steep dried horsetail in boiling water for 15–20 minutes to extract silica.
• Hair Rinse: Cool the infusion and use as a strengthening rinse after shampooing.
• Poultice: Sometimes used for minor skin irritations to support healing.

Herbalist Tips

• Growing Tips: Horsetail prefers wet, sandy areas; it can become invasive if not contained.
• Caution: Do not consume if harvested near contaminated water or farmland (risk of heavy metals).
• Harvest Time: Gather green, fresh shoots in spring or early summer. This is one of those plants that morphs throughout the season, I encourage you to explore this!

Filling your home apothecary doesn’t have to be overwhelming—especially when so many beginner-friendly herbs may already be sprouting in your yard.

With Yarrow, Wild Rose, Red Clover, Dandelion, Plantain, Stinging Nettle, and Horsetail, you have a ready-made apothecary at your fingertips.

These versatile plants offer an array of benefits, from soothing skin irritations to supporting digestion, all while connecting you to nature in a meaningful way.

Start small by harvesting a few leaves or flowers, experiment with simple teas or poultices, and watch your confidence grow as you discover the power of everyday herbs.

Remember, the best way to learn is to get hands-on and hyperfocus on just a few plants. Get to know a few - deeply.

Which one are you going to start getting to know? Tell me in the comments section below!