How Herbalism is Making a Comeback: Reconnecting to Nature Through Rethinking What Herbs, Weeds & Wild Plants Mean To Us

This week's editorial is by @fermentedphil, who writes on philosophy, gardening, herbalism, wild foods and other wonderful topics in astute, well written articles on HIVE. This post contemplates how we understand the word 'herb' and how we are shifting from an industrial view of the world that is reductionist over holistic, and that there is becoming a shift back toward herbalism and more trust in the valuable information about medicinal plants and weeds that is linked to a reconnection with nature and ourselves. Do enjoy and leave your comment below, joining in the wider dialogue about #herbalism on HIVE!

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The Loss of Information in the Information Era

Humans from every culture across history knew about the immensely important role plants and herbs played in our diets. For centuries antique western medicine, for example, was based on the humoral theory in which different plants affected the humours in different ways. Even though from a modern western and scientific perspective this theory does not hold its weight, there were a lot they got right. With the modern industrial era, our understanding, appreciation and need for plants and herbs suddenly disappeared and diminished. One clear indication of this is in the word “herb” itself. For many hundreds and even thousands of years, the word “herb” meant all plants that are not trees or shrubs [1]. In other words, the word herb signified all plants of a certain size. More specifically, herbs were plants of a certain size with importance for us humans; medicinally, spiritually, and culinary. Today the word herb is used almost synonymously with aromatic and culinary herbs, amongst others, basil, thyme, and parsley. The spiritual and medicinal understandings of herbs withered away. With this almost metaphorical shrinking of the word herb, so too have our knowledge and understanding of herbs shrunk. In our information age, it seems that we have an abundance of information regarding the eradication of so-called “weeds” and a loss of understanding of “herbs” as understood throughout the ages.

I take there to be two clear periods, or turning points, in which the use of herbs took a “knock”. Firstly, with the invention of monoculture modern and manicured lawns, and, secondly, with the decline of mainstream usage of medicinal herbs. However, herbalism is making a name for itself again and this time with scientific evidence. In the following post, I will look at these two almost clear turning points in the use and view of herbs. And, how science is now confirming what we already knew: herbs are valuable and play a crucial role in our health; medicinally, spiritually, and culinary wise. But before that, I briefly venture into the realm of language, taxonomy and the history of the term “herb”.

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The Linguistic Turn: Herbs, Weeds and Wild Plants

How we use words and concepts reflects in some way how we see and perceive the world. In my own language, Afrikaans, we use the word “onkruid” to refer to a weed. The word “kruid” means herb and the prefix “on-”, in this context, means unwished-for. Hence the meaning of an unwished-for herb. This mirrors the English colloquial understanding of the term weed, albeit without herb in the word itself. A weed is merely a plant, or herb, that grows unwanted in a specific space. What is interesting about this use of the word weed and the similar one “onkruid” is that there is no real “botanical significance” to it [2]. In other words, weeds are not specific plants as such, rather, the term is used in a contextually dependent manner. A weed is simply an unwished-for plant or herb. Even a lemon tree can be a weed.

But what is an herb then? This is where things get interesting. As noted, our modern connotation of the word herb latches onto culinary herbs. Google the term herb and you will find an array of websites expounding the use of culinary herbs like thyme and parsley in your cooking. However, this use of the word herb does not cover the medicinal nor spiritual use of the word. Also, culinary herbs usually refer only to the leafy green parts of the plants. The medicinal or spiritual use of herbs usually make use of all the plant’s parts, that is, roots, seeds, flowers, berries, and bark [3]. Sometimes medicinal or spiritual herbs are referred to as wild plants. Since the cultivation of plants, we produced plants that need human intervention or inter-action for their survival [4]. These two terms – wild plants and weeds – also mirror our modern industrial era in which we have plenty of stores filled with food and pharmacies filled with medicine. What was deemed food in previous eras, are labelled noxious weeds today; what was deemed medicine in previous eras, are called wild and uncultivated plants. (This is an oversimplified argument, but I think this sentiment is prevalent today.)

An interesting case in which our colloquially use of these terms does not match onto the world is between wild rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia) and salad/normal rocket (Eruca sativa). Wild rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia) is not necessarily the wild counterpart of arugula or salad/normal rocket (Eruca sativa). The two plants are actually two different species belonging to the Rapa/Oleracea lineage [5]. One reason for the “wild” term in diplotaxis tenuifolia might come from how easily its seeds spread throughout the garden [6]. However, the grouping together of these different species might have something to do with convenience rather than taxonomical accuracy [5]. There are some plants where you can easily distinguish between the wild counterpart and the cultivated one, but not all of them are spotted that easily.

As noted, our usage of terms and concepts often reflect our view of the world. In modern times, most people have access to a store with an abundance of food. The term weed becomes even more alluring to use for plants that are unwanted. One of these plants that unfortunately got written into our modern minds as a weed par excellence is the common dandelion. For many years, the common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) has been used for many purposes. Every part of the plant is used culinary; the roots can make a coffee substitute, the flowers can make a wine, the younger leaves can be used in a salad, and the older leaves can be used in a similar way as spinach [7]. Medicinally in ancient times, the herb has been used to treat, amongst others, stomach aches, heartburn, spleen and liver complaints, hepatitis and anorexia [8]. It is in the Greek name that we also see this link to its medicinal properties:

A first reference to its application is reflected in its name, which is derived from the Greek words “taraxis” for inflammation and “akeomai” for curative. [8]

Even though for 2000 or so years we knew about these medicinal properties, various studies have now started to confirm it [8, 9, 10, 11, 12]. This plays into a strange new pattern of thoughts we as “modern scientific humans” tend to favour: if scientific studies say it is good, it is good. Even though we knew it was good for us, people will only give it attention now that we have scientific studies that prove it. But this leads to a problem: Dandelions are very common worldwide, so people will study it, but what about indigenous herbs that do not get the necessary scientific attention? This remains an open question.

Common dandelions have also been used in a spiritual manner throughout the ages. From the seeds carrying your wishes, to them bringing fortune, to the roots helping you dream prophetically and with psychic development [13, 14].

In short, herb meant something more than merely the culinary connotation. (Modern culinary herbs would not contain dandelions, for example.) The word herb usually meant something that was smaller than a shrub or a tree. Furthermore, herb came to mean something medicinal especially in the Middle Ages. However, the distinction between culinary herbs and medicinal herbs were not that strict, as medicine was not understood in the same manner. And this is where I think the first decline, or turning point, in our understanding of herbs can be identified.

Modern Medicine and Reductionist Thinking

Modern medicine – that is, treatment, diagnoses, prevention of diseases – is predominantly characterized by a form of reductionism [15]. We break down complex problems into smaller and simpler answers. We understand, for example, that we need certain vitamins for ideal health, but rather than prescribe a diet rich in these vitamins, we prescribe over the counter supplements that have been isolated in a laboratory and produced in a factory. If you visit the doctor because of a stomach-ache, they might prescribe something that theoretically should work to reduce whatever the specific problem is. The metaphor of a magic bullet is sometimes used to showcase this reductionist thinking: there is one solution to the problem. But I think that a better metaphor is that of blindly throwing darts at a dartboard. Eventually one will hit the target. This is brilliantly summed up in the following quote:

When the human body is viewed as a collection of components, the natural inclination of medicine is to isolate the single factor that is most responsible for the observed behavior. Much like a mechanic who repairs a broken car by locating the defective part, physicians typically treat disease by identifying that isolatable abnormality. Implicit within this practice is the deeply rooted belief that each disease has a potential singular target for medical treatment. [15]

This view of humans, as a system or collection of various parts and pieces, is in direct contrast to the view of humans as holistic beings. Some has gone so far as to state that “Western medicine is diseased focused and [holistic treatment] is person focused” [16].

With the introduction of modern medicine and reductionist thinking, we disregarded and forgot about herbal medicine and herbs in their entirety. To use the common dandelion as an example again, people trusted modern diets and medicine and demonised a potentially nutritious and medicinal herb growing in their yard or on their lawn. Furthermore, we lost the valuable practical wisdom of the elders who specialised in herbal medicine and herbs. I have to only turn to my own country, South Africa and especially the Western Cape, to give an example of this loss of valuable information with our introduction and reliance on modern medicine. Almost 3% of the world’s plants are found in an area of about 200km of South African coast lines, commonly referred to as the Fynbos Biome [17]. Boastful claims are made about the indigenous Fynbos plants/herbs, like those that the Buchu plant might replace antibiotics [18]. One can only imagine what miracle medicinal herbs lay hidden in such a small area if almost 3% of the world’s plants are found here. But the Fynbos biome or plant kingdom is rapidly changing due to climate change, expansion of urban households, and the problem of invasive species taking over [19]. This problem is further complicated by the loss of centuries’ practical knowledge due to political and racial tension and segregation in especially South Africa [20]. As noted, due to the lack of support and common availability, the effects and rich potential of various plants are not studied.

Simply put, the smarter we humans get the more destructive we get. I am reminded by the Cree Indian prophecy: “Only when the last tree has been cut down, the last fish been caught, and the last stream poisoned, will we realize we cannot eat money.” We can add to this: When the last person who knows about certain herbs die, so also the herb might die with them.

The Invention of the Monoculture Lawn: From Herbs to Weeds

Pinning down the exact period when our linguistic use of the word herb changed and when we started to use the word weed in its current form is not easy. I would argue one dead giveaway is with the invention of modern lawns. Lawns have a specific cultural and historical introduction and there have been multiple studies on this. From the racial connotation to the environmental issues linked to it, the lawn has recently become a political and moral issue. Early adoption of lawns were exclusive to rich landowners. It was a status symbol. Modern adoption of lawns culminated with well-groomed suburbs [21]. A lawn that is uncut and riddled with so-called “weeds” became a symbol of unkemptness. In other words, one’s lawn became a symbol of one’s moral character. With modern society demanding more and more of our attention, keeping one’s lawn and garden tidy became a problem that, amongst others, the producers of herbicides relished. Keeping a lawn clean from so-called weeds is a tedious job, it is so much easier to use herbicides to get rid of all the noxious weeds. As noted, the common dandelion unfortunately became the symbol of weeds. In effect, the common dandelion went from being a nutritious, medicinal, and religious herb to weed in a mere 200 or so years. Furthermore, the word weed started to become synonymous with certain plants. As noted, the word weed does not have any significant taxonomic or biological power. It is a contextual word. Even a lemon tree can be a weed. But the colloquial use of the word weed today picks out certain types of plants/herbs which the modern gardener wants to get rid of.

I would argue that the modern gardener has more knowledge about herbicides than herbs. If you presented the modern gardener with a common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) and a flatweed/cat’s ear (Hypochaeris radicata) they would likely not be able to tell the difference. They would label both as a weed. Not long ago, these plants played crucial roles in most people’s lives, and the idea of a lawn would have been ridiculous. So-called weeds were considered sources of food, nutrition, medicine and (physical, mental, spiritual and soil) health. Lawns today, for example, is claimed to be the most heavily irrigated monoculture crop [22]. We gain nothing from these water-feeding monoculture crops except to boast about them. In fact, due to most lawns being monocultured “crops”, the loss of (plant and animal/insect) biodiversity is a real threat. But this view of herbs as weeds are slowly turning around again. From herb to weed, we are again turning back to herbs for medicinal, culinary, and environmental reasons.

For the Love of Weeds: A Comeback of Herbalism and Healing the Natural Environment

People are getting rid of their lawns [23, 24, 25]. There are various reasons for this trend, from climate change, to helping pollinators, to growing your own food. As conclusion to this post, I want to focus on the last one. I especially want to focus on the comeback of herbalism, or what I call the love of weeds [26, 27, 28]. I would argue that all three notions – medicinally, spiritually, and culinary – are on a slow comeback but also the potential of these plants to heal the natural environment.

Medicinally we are seeing herbs being used alongside modern medicine. People are also using the internet to share their knowledge in a rate unheard of. I want to argue, though, that herbs are also used in a different medicinal way that few have written about: mental health. One might link this to the religious or spiritual use and comeback of herbs as well. For a time now, we have seen ourselves as separate from nature. As noted, we have a reductionist view of things, but this view might also propel us to think that we can outsmart nature. But people are turning away from this view. More and more people are feeling the disconnection in various ways. Depression, anxiety, fear of an uncertain future in our changing climate; this disconnection is slowly eroding our being-in-nature and well-being. Herbs, weeds, wild plant, whatever they are called, can help with re-connecting us with nature. Whilst re-connecting us to nature, they might also re-connect (read: heal) nature, restoring the destruction we brought about. A fascinating example of this is, again, the humble dandelion. Dandelion’s taproot might aerate compacted soil, draw up nutrients from deep down in the soil to the topsoil, and they will essentially disappear when the soil health is restored [29]. This is only one example of an herb that acts as “medicine” for the soil health but also for our own health. Healthy soil means healthy plants, and healthy plants are good for us.

So-called modern culinary herbs limit one to a few options. Broadening the category to include “common weeds” opens doors previously closed. Both wild and salad/common rocket are great examples of food that was actively promoted over the years. Only recently have we seen the almost normalisation of these herbs/plants/weeds in our pantries after aggressive advertising and workshops that was held in 1990’s [5]. But various crops have not had this fortunate success, either because they are only available in certain areas (think again of my local Fynbos) or because they are not a viable economic or practical crop (think of the short shelve life of chickweed (Stellaria media)).

All in all, I think herbs – medicinal, spiritual, and culinary – is on a comeback. With the help of the internet and blogs, like here on Hive and in The Herbal Hive community, we are seeing a return of the importance of herbs. With food overall becoming more expensive and maybe even less nutritious, with modern medicine struggling to rid itself of the reductionist model, and our disconnect from nature, the use of herbs are once again on the rise.

Endnotes: Further Reading


[1] Bremness, L., 1989. The Complete Book of Herbs A Practical Guide to Growing using Herbs Reader’s Digest. The Reader’s Digest Association (Canada) Ltd, Montreal.
[2] Weed. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weed
[3] A Look at the History of Herbs. https://www.universalclass.com/articles/health/herbs/alternative-medicine/a-look-at-the-history-of-herbs.htm
[4] Use and potential of wild plants in farm households. Introduction. http://www.fao.org/3/W8801E/w8801e02.htm
[5] Hall, M., Jobling, J. and Rogers, G., 2012. Some perspectives on rocket as a vegetable crop: A review. Vegetable crops research bulletin, 76(1).
[6] Anderson, P. 2020. Take off like a rocket: wild or cultivated, arugula makes for spicy salad leaves. https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/sep/12/take-off-like-a-rocket-wild-or-cultivated-arugula-makes-for-spicy-salad-leaves
[7] Common Dandelion. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taraxacum_officinale
[8] Schütz, K., Carle, R. and Schieber, A., 2006. Taraxacum—a review on its phytochemical and pharmacological profile. Journal of ethnopharmacology, 107(3):313-323.
[9] Rehman, S., Ijaz, B., Fatima, N., Muhammad, S.A. and Riazuddin, S., 2016. Therapeutic potential of Taraxacum officinale against HCV NS5B polymerase: In-vitro and In silico study. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy, 83:881-891.
[10] Wang, S., Wang, Y., Liu, X., Guan, L., Yu, L. and Zhang, X., 2016. Anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic effects of taraxasterol on adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats. Journal of ethnopharmacology, 187:42-48.
[11] Menke, K., Schwermer, M., Felenda, J., Beckmann, C., Stintzing, F., Schramm, A. and Zuzak, T.J., 2018. Taraxacum officinale extract shows antitumor effects on pediatric cancer cells and enhance mistletoe therapy. Complementary therapies in medicine, 40:158-164.
[12] Lis, B. and Olas, B., 2019. Pro-health activity of dandelion (Taraxacum officinale L.) and its food products–history and present. Journal of Functional Foods, 59:40-48.
[13] Wigington, P. Dandelion Magic and Folklore. https://www.learnreligions.com/dandelion-magic-and-folklore-4588986
[14] Herb (Plant) – Dandelion. Information and Correspondents in Witchcraft. https://vayas-witchcraft-and-spiritual.tumblr.com/post/107986747760/herb-plant-dandelion
[15] Ahn, A.C., Tewari, M., Poon, C.S. and Phillips, R.S., 2006. The limits of reductionism in medicine: could systems biology offer an alternative?. PLoS medicine, 3(6):e208.
[16] Russo, S. The distinction between holistic medicine and reductionist medicine. https://www.chitemple.com.au/post/the-distinction-between-holistic-medicine-and-reductionist-medicine
[17] Louw, R. Our Fabulous Indigenous Fynbos Pharmacy. https://www.faithful-to-nature.co.za/blog/our-fabulous-indigenous-fynbos-pharmacy/
[18] Miracle Cape plant could replace antibiotics. News24. https://www.news24.com/health24/natural/news/miracle-cape-plant-could-replace-antibiotics-20150826
[19] Richardson, D.M., Macdonald, I.A.W. and Forsyth, G.G., 1989. Reductions in plant species richness under stands of alien trees and shrubs in the fynbos biome. South African Forestry Journal, 149(1):1-8.
[20] Philander, L.E.A., Makunga, N.P. and Platten, S.J., 2011. Local medicinal plant knowledge in South Africa preserved by apartheid. Human ecology, 39(2):203-216.
[21] How Americans Learned to Love Their Front Lawns | Ney York Times.
[22] Lawns are the No. 1 irrigated ‘crop’ in America. They need to die. https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-environment/2019/05/02/lawns-no-1-irrigated-crop-america/3655688002/
[23] Ramsey, D.X., ‘Microfarms’ come to South L.A. frontyards, bringing fresh produce to food deserts. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-13/asante-microfarms-jamiah-hargins-south-la-fresh-food-produce
[24] Johnson, N. Lawns are for suckers. Plant a garden — for the climate!. https://grist.org/food/lawns-are-for-suckers-plant-a-garden-for-the-climate/
[25] Talbot, M. More Sustainable (and Beautiful) Alternatives to a Grass Lawn. https://www.nrdc.org/stories/more-sustainable-and-beautiful-alternatives-grass-lawn
[26] The Prophet’s Pharmacy: Herbal Medicine Makes a Comeback. https://www.csis.org/analysis/prophets-pharmacy-herbal-medicine-makes-comeback-0
[27] Glee, E. The Reclamation of Ancestral Herbalism. http://rootedmag.net/land/the-reclamation-of-ancestral-herbalism/
[28] A Return To Roots | Herbalism vs Drugs. https://thefoodrealityblog.wordpress.com/2015/07/13/a-return-to-roots-herbalism-vs-drugs/
[29] Don’t Spray the Dandelions in your Yard | They’re there for a reason!.

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