Cover Image: Mountain States Medicinal Plants

Mountain States Medicinal Plants

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Member Reviews

Good useful resource, especially for beginners but I wouldn't recommend it on Kindle. This is one you want in a physical copy.

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Great book for identifying plants for harvesting in the mountain state area. Some of these plants can also be found in other states throughout the country, not just the mountain states. A great resource for any practitioner or naturalist interested in holistic medicine and healing.

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I was delighted to see that many of these plants grow near me, even though I am too far east to be considered a "mountain state." The pictures and descriptions are clear. This is an excellent book!

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This book provided me so much information , it was a perfect book and so helpful while making decisions on which plants I should get in my backyard.

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Oh man, I am sad I live outside the region this books covers since this is one of the best regional specific herbal foraging books I have run into! I really especially like how it mentioned look-alike plants that could easily confused, guides to how to forage without possibly ruining the plant (or like with alfalfa a weed to just go wild and take as much as you need) for future uses, and clear warnings of plants to not take internally or ones that will cause problems when used incorrectly. Also it seemed the herbalism presented in this book was based pretty heavily on TCM since it talks a lot about plants being warming or cooling which is something I don't run into a ton with western herbalism.

This is a great book on foraging and herbalism, definitely recommend even if you don't live in the region because a lot of these plants grow outside of the mountain states.

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Love, love, loved this book! Focused in my own back yard this is an amazing handbook for those wanting more natural medicinal options. I love that it has info on how, where, why and what for for each of the plants it discusses. This will be a go to in my home for sure!

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I loved this book. It's quite informative for people interested in wild food crafting, foraging, or just wanting to get to know their local plants better. It's a handy guide to keep on you during hikes or walks. The pictures made it easy to identify the plants as well.

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I did not actually read this book in it's entirety- it was more of a browsing situation for me. The format was not what I expected, and the information in the book was not as relevant to me as I would have hoped since I do not live in the specific region targeted here. With that being said, if you live in the mountain states and have the weather and locations nearby that would allow you to utilize the information in this book, I can see how it would be helpful. Thanks for the opportunity to check it out.

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This book does exactly what it says on the tin. It goes into great detail regarding both wildcrafting and herbal preparations. For example, it details where/when to find wild herbs and how to avoid poisonous look-alikes. In terms of herbal preparations, each monograph contains information on how to prepare the herb listing decoctions, poultices and other appropriate preparations. The book also has excellent cautionary information. The only down side is that it does not break out herbal actions and constituents particularly well.

I'd estimate that, being outside the mountain region, I am only familiar with 25-35% of the herbs. This compares to 50% or so familiarity in a non-region specific book on western herbalism. So while this is more useful to those in the titular region, the herbs are fairly common (especially compared to TCM or southwestern herbs which seem harder to come at a whole foods,vitamin shoppe,Tom's Nature Shack and Granola-ery, etc.).

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This book would make a great companion for anyone who wants to learn herbalism and how to forage for wild plants. The range covered by the text is the mountain states. (Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, eastern Oregon and Washington.) The plants featured can be found in other areas of the west too, so it’s not necessarily a limiting factor to herbalists in those areas. This book can be useful to you too. I found that many of the plants, or close relatives, are also located in my area of Northern California, so it was very informative and useful to me

The book begins by showing you which plants are best gathered in which seasons, as well as what plant part to harvest. This is important when using them for medicine because time of year can affect the potency of the medicinal qualities of the plants. The author gives you plenty of tips, like how to avoid poisonous plants, or look-alikes. There is an excellent pictorial section that shows you these poisonous plants in full-color photos to help you identify them and avoid them. The author also tells you what equipment to bring when foraging, where to harvest to avoid contamination, how to wildcraft legally, how to tend to nature’s needs and harvest respectfully and sustainably, and how to process what you gather. She shows different methods for preparing the plants, giving detailed directions that are easy to follow. You can make tinctures, salves, oxymels, extractions, teas, oils, and more! It’s very interesting and I learned some things that I had no idea about before!

The meat of the book is the middle section where the author treats the plant species one by one, in alphabetical order. There are copious full-color photos throughout the text that help with identification of plants and habitats, etc. Each plant chapter tells you first how to identify the plant, then “where, when and how to wildcraft” that plant, then a section on the medicinal uses of it, followed by any cautions you need to know, and finally recommendations for protecting the future harvest. Some plants are weedy and you can harvest a lot, but others are rare and you need to take care when harvesting so that the plants will be there into the future. The author does a fine job of telling you which ones are which. Each chapter has a sidebar at the end where the things you can make from that plant are shown, along with how many parts of the plant to how much water, or alcohol, or oil to use. It also tells you if you should use the plant parts dried or fresh. There are directions for how much of it you should use each day, the proper doses. If there are warnings about not using too much, or if it’s a plant that people could have allergies to, that is indicated as well. All in all, I thought these chapters were quite thorough and the author left nothing out that a wildcrafter would need to know in order to make the medicines indicated.

I especially liked that the author advised one to be respectful of the plants when harvesting. She always indicates that one should never take all the plants in an area, or uproot and entire plant. If you have to harvest a root, replant shoots that are attached and only take the older plant part so that the plant can re-grow. This respect for the plants is important since many are limited in range and, if everyone went out and harvested them willy-nilly, we’d soon lose these valuable plants. The way the author advises is sustainable and leaves plenty of plants for future generations to enjoy.

My overall opinion of this book was a positive one. I was impressed that the author appears to have done plenty of research and has used these plants to make these medicinals. Her experience shows through in the entire text. Everything you need to begin to wildcraft is provided here. From the identification of the plant and how to harvest it, to how to prepare it and how to use it. It’s all here in one information-packed volume. This book is incredibly useful and I’d love to have one on my shelf!

I’d like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the advance reader digital copy I received in exchange for my honest review.

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I loved this book! Even though I grew up in the Mountain States, I did was not into medicinal plants when I lived there. So the first section in this book, Timing Your Harvest, was very helpful for me. It broke the information down into the four seasons & then where you would typically find the plants. The next section was about each plant. It gave you the parts to use; how to identify; where, when & how to wildcraft; medicinal uses and future harvest information, along with pictures. Just to note that several of the plants do grow in other areas around the US. If you live in the Mountain States or are going to visit & you love medicinal plants, then I would highly recommend this book!

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I love plant guides - I love learning about all the different sorts of plants that grow in the US and what they could possibly be used for. I also use plant guides as a kind of surrogate for actual travel, which I can't really afford. Mountain States Medicinal Plants is an exhaustive guide to all the various plants in the Rockies that can be used for medicinal purposes. As always, use caution with some of the advice offered in these sorts of books (seriously, actual medicine is always better), but if you're a plant geek who can't really afford to travel, then you'll definitely enjoy this book. Also, if you're just fond of learning about the various uses of plants.

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Since I live in this region I found this a really informative book on wild harvesting herbs with plenty of information about the different herbs as well as the many types of preparation they can be used in.  If you are interested in wildcrafting for your herbs this is a must have for this large region.

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I learned a lot from this book! There were a wide range of plants and uses. Information was clearly given in a consistent format. Warnings easily found. Enjoyed the book, recommended it to other outdoor enthusiasts.

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With a slant toward the plants found in the western mountainous regions of North America, this book is a great resource to identifying, harvesting, wildcrafting, and using botanicals. The author is a wildcrafter and lecturer who owns Rooted Apothecary in Crested Butte, Colorado. The included plants and instructions are by no means limited to the western states, as the useful plants and instructions are found in wide areas of North America.

The book is broken down into sections and begins with an introduction 'Wildcrafting your medicine', followed by 'Timing your harvest: A guide to seasonal wildcrafting'
The meat of the book is taken up with an ID guide to 101 different (by my count) wild plants. The pictures are extensive and specific. Dangerous look-alikes are covered quite well with ample photograps and descriptions and cautions.

The book has a charmingly sweet vibe (ask permission of the plants you want to harvest and when many of them say 'No', respect that and move along). Is it a little bit 'woo/new age/neohippy'? Yes, however... We live in a world that has firmly embraced the idea that profit and personal gain is a worthy goal and the sacrifice and pillage of our environment and our planet is the natural order of things. Humans are doing irreparable damage with blatant disregard. A little respect and restraint toward our earth is wonderfully refreshing (and vitally important).

If you look at the trend in medicines and cosmetics today, every possible company (some of them incredibly disreputable) tout 'back to nature' and 'natural ingredients'. What better way to know what's in the products you put in and on your body than to gather and control the ingredients, and make the final product yourself. Included are recipes for various decoctions, soaks, salves, syrups, teas and other items.

I enjoyed this book very much and recommend it. The finished products are well crafted (if one follows instructions!) and gentle and not harmful. Cautions about use specific herbs under specific conditions (pregnancy etc) are sensible and reasonable.

As a bonus, there are photos of the author's own apothecary jars and some small interior shots of her shop. Beautifully organized and traditional, the jars and labels are beautiful. I would love to visit the shop sometime.

The book ends with a resource and references section.

A good book for wildcrafting, beautifully made.

Four stars

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher.

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Mountain States Medicinal Plants is a Season-by-Season guide on how to harvest plants with medicinal properties safely without causing harm to the plant or yourself. The text includes 100 medicinal plants found in the Mountain regions of the US.

The author discusses the proper cleaning, storage and preservation techniques that are unique for each plant. Depending on the plant and its intended use, a plant may be made into infusions, decoctions, tinctures, infused honey, and salves to reap the natural benefits.

The photography is excellent and each plant is listed separately and is accompanied by a picture for easy identification. The text provided for each plants explains how to identify, including when, where and how, the medicinal uses and herbal preparations.

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Mountain States Medicinal Plants by Briana Wiles

March 2018
Non-fiction, health

I received this digital ARC from Timber Press/NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Although the author provides specific information regarding Mountain State medicinal plants, these plants are grown in other regions of the country. She provides extensive information regarding each plant as well as suggested "recipes" for use. It is evident that the author is very knowledgeable in this area and thus a reliable source on medicinal plants.

The format of the book is extremely user friendly and organized. The pictures display the plants beautifully in their natural state. I particularly appreciate that the author goes to great lengths to include a "How to Identify" section for each plant. It is also worthy to note that she provides beneficial information regarding the proper identification to avoid poisonous plants. I honestly never imagined all the plants she has covered in this book as being anything more than a weed!

Being a holistic health coach, I am very interested in natural remedies for common ailments. This book is far more than I expected in regards to the content. I would recommend this book to those interested in medicinal plants and holistic healing. There's a lot of information to be absorbed for the nature enthusiast.
This isn't for the weekend gardener!

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We all know plants can be used to heal and be natural medicines.

This book includes types of plants with tips for harvesting alongside pictures and lists of times of the year that plants are ready for harvesting and subsequently, use. The book is good as a guide to learn from but always be wary that you are picking the right plant yourself!

A handy guide on a very different subject.

Many thank to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

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Awesome reference book for anyone interested in medicinal plants in the Mountain states.

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