About the book

A Modern Herbal is Maud Grieve's landmark herbal reference, first published in 1931 and continuously in print ever since. Across two volumes it covers more than 800 plants, arranged alphabetically, with entries on botany, folklore, cultivation, harvesting, and the preparations of early 20th century Western herbalism. Grieve cross-references the older English herbalists, Culpeper, Gerard, and Parkinson among them, so the work doubles as a window into several centuries of plant lore.

About the author

Maud Grieve (1858-1941) was a British herbalist who ran a teaching herb garden at The Whins in Buckinghamshire. During the First World War, when imported plant drugs grew scarce, her gardens trained students in commercial herb cultivation, and A Modern Herbal distills roughly three decades of that hands-on work.

Format & editions

We sell the two volumes separately; choose Volume 1 or Volume 2 above. This is a working reference rather than an introduction, and its remedies reflect 1931 understanding, so we stock it as classic herbal literature. Readers who want a gentler on-ramp usually start with Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner's Guide.

A Modern Herbal at a glance

Title

A Modern Herbal

Author

Maud Grieve (1858-1941)

First published

1931

Format

Two-volume reference, sold separately

Coverage

800+ plants, alphabetical