Herbal Plant Identification

Often plants that are considered weeds are actually delicious edible herbs, rich in minerals, nutrients and medicinal properties. It is good to learn how to identify herbs to make good use of them when needed. Many of these herbs may be sitting in your garden and others may be abundant in your region, making hiking a great way to come in contact with these herbs.

Resources

• Plant walks are a great way to learn about herbs.

  Books are one of the best resources for plant identification. Some herbal identification books are specific to a region and are put together by herbalists and other experts in the field. Other great ways to learn how to identify herbs are going on local plant walks offered by herbal schools and taking an herbal course.

Leaves

• Violet

  One of the main ways to identify an herb is by observing its leaves. Some herbs, like mugwort, will have a light gray shade on the back of the leaf, while others may have a round heart shape, such as violet.

  Things to look for in an herb's leaves are whether the leaf is round or pointy; if the edges are smooth or if they have small teeth; how big the leaf is; how they alternate; the pattern of their veins and their color.

Stem

• Mint

  Stems differ greatly among herbs. Any herb in the mint family will have a square stem and other herbs such as arnica have a round and hairy stem. Things to look for in an herb's stem are length, color, surface, shape and fibrous constitution when broken in half.

Smell

• Not all herbs have a smell. Those that do are called aromatic herbs and are commonly used for cooking and making teas. Smell is one of the most assertive ways to correctly identify an herb. Some well-known aromatic herbs are lavender, which as a sweet and floral scent, and rosemary, with a sweet and minty smell.

Attention to Detail

• There are a good number of herbs that look alike because they are a part of the same family. The more you study the more you will be able to pay attention to the details that differentiate one herb from another. Still, no matter how much you have studied, it is advisable to carry an identification chart or book anytime you intend to harvest. Some of the details that your identification book will point out regarding specific descriptions of herbs may be a fuzzy stem, light green color or white color on the back of the herb's leaves, the distribution of the herb's branches and more.

  Never harvest an herb if you are not 100 percent sure what it is, especially if you intend to eat it or make medicine with it.