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National Institute of Medical Herbalists

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National Institute of Medical Herbalists

Find a herbalist near you at www.nimh.org.uk Members have undergone a lengthy training program before registering as qualified medical herbalists.
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We are the leading professional body for Medical Herbalists, providing support for members and campaigning for the recognition of the role of herbal medicine as an integral part of everyday healthcare. The National Institute of Medical Herbalists is the largest professional body regulating medical herbalists in the United Kingdom. It was first established as the National Association of Medical Herbalists in 1864 by a group of herbalists from the north of England, but currently has members in several countries. Practitioners train for at least three years at Baccheloriate level including over 500 hours of clinical practice, and adhere to a strict code of conduct before they can gain MNIMH after their name. NIMH-registered medical herbalists are trained in the same diagnostic skills as mainstream doctors and take a holistic approach to health.

06/03/2026

✨ MONTHLY HERBAL SERIES ✨
March: A cooling, cleansing climber
aka Cleavers, goosegrass, sticky willie, sticky w**d (Galium aparine)

This long-legged ‘sticky’ plant is not sticky; rather, it is covered in tiny hooked hairs that help it clamber over hedges to reach the light. Although a source of frustration for gardeners, it has long been treasured by dairy farmers and herbalists alike.

Have you heard the folk saying that states ‘if you drink cleavers for nine weeks, you will be so beautiful everyone will fall in love with you’? This is because cleavers has a lymphatic action, which supports the body’s immune defense system with an action on cleaning and clearing the body’s tissues from waste products and infection. It is also high in nutrients such as silica, which is useful for maintaining skin health.

Herbalists use these actions for improving skin conditions such as acne and eczema, which is what the folk saying refers to: who wouldn’t love a glowing skin? ✨

🐮What about those dairy farmers? A thick, tangled ball of cleavers was once used as a milk strainer, the hooks effectively sieved out any impurities leaving the milk cow hair and straw-free.

To consult a herbalist about the conditions discussed, please use 'Find a Herbalist' https://nimh.org.uk/find-a-herbalist/ to locate one near you.

26/02/2026

Get involved with an exciting herbal research project

Meet Nicholas Edwards , a practitioner who blends research and herbalism into his work. He qualified at Lincoln University in 2009 and later completed a Master’s in Ethnobotany at the University of Kent.

Nicholas works part-time at his Bristol-based herbal practice, while completing a PhD at Durham University. His doctoral research examines how herbalists approach complex syndromes, including:
CFS/ME
Fibromyalgia
Post-COVID syndromes
Lyme disease
Several herbalists are involved in his research, but he is interested in talking to more.

Are you a practitioner with insights into treating patients with any of the above conditions?

Know someone who is? Please tag them below.

Please contact Nicholas directly for a link to a short survey, to arrange an interview or practice visit.

📧 Email: theapothecarybox@gmail.com

20/02/2026

As a herbalist, are you looking for ways to make your clinic more sustainable? The spring edition of our Power of Plants magazine offers insights into how you can lower the footprint of your practice.

From the bottles and herbs you use to the alcohol in your tincture, Sabrina Gonçalves Krebsbach () and Jonas Brab take us through the challenges and choices of sustainable herbal practice. Both their articles invite us to make changes together as a professional community.

Sabrina reminds us that as herbalists, we can ‘share not just remedies but also a vision of herbal medicine that cares for the living world.’ For example, when it comes to packaging, we can opt to reduce, recycle and reuse where possible.

You can read more in this month's POP magazine which is available from our shop (https://nimh.org.uk/shop/8187/).

With thanks to .reality for the republication of Jonas Brab’s guide to sustainable herbalism.

We’d love to hear any tips you have for helping to look after planetary health alongside patient health. What steps are you taking towards sustainability in your clinic?

Image credit:

10/02/2026

🌿 Sustainable Foraging 🌿
“Successfully foraging … on a regular basis – be it for personal or economic reasons – requires an intimacy with nature and a loving stewardship of natural resources way beyond the average nature-lover.”

Our latest issue of The Power of Plants (POP) Magazine features the words of forager and wild food specialist, Mark Williams , co-founder of the Association of Foragers (). Mark discusses how habitat destruction through unsustainable farming practices, pollution and urbanisation puts serious pressure on nature’s resources, and explores how foraging for wild food and medicine can sustainably fit into this system.

Swipe the images above to see the ‘Good Forager’s Checklist’ taken from his recent book The Coastal Forager (available from 🔗link in bio at )

More of Mark’s thoughts and sustainable foraging practices are further discussed in our POP magazine, get your copy on our shop (🔗link in bio).

Mark encourages any person or organisation with concerns about foraging to contact the for discussion and guidance.

05/02/2026

🌿 Call for Nominations: The Christopher Hedley Memorial Award 🌿

We’re delighted to open nominations for this year’s Christopher Hedley Memorial Award, created to honour the life and work of Christopher Hedley FNIMH, herbalist, teacher, storyteller, and beloved “wizard” of the herbal world.

Christopher lived in that magical space where herbs, medicine, and imagination meet. He reminded us that plants are more than their constituents; they are whole beings, friends, and allies. His teaching inspired many herbalists to look beyond the curriculum, explore the overlooked herbs growing at our feet, and find inventive ways to bring people and plants together.

Do you know a herbalist who embodies this spirit? We’re seeking nominations for an individual herbalist, practising or retired, anywhere in the world who has made a significant contribution to herbal medicine. This might be through practice, education, community work, research, environmental work, or any other aspect of herbalism.

What the judges are looking for:

✨ Creative ways of bringing people and plants together
✨ Use of lesser known or out of fashion herbs
✨ Inspirational practice
✨ A meaningful contribution to the world of herbal medicine

Each nomination needs a proposer and seconder, plus a short explanation of how the nominee’s work has made a difference. Please submit your nominations before 31st May by emailing info@nimh.org.uk

For more information on the award please visit our website https://buff.ly/psiJiS0

Photograph Credit: Amanda Cook

30/01/2026

✨ MONTHLY HERBAL SERIES ✨
February: A vitamin-rich fruit that helps with aches and pains
Rosehip - Rosa canina and other species

This month in our Power of Plants Magazine (buy it here - https://nimh.org.uk/shop/8187/ ), National Institute of Medical Herbalists member and registered herbalist Forage Botanicals Ltd.discusses sustainable British healing herbs. One of these is the common dog rose (Rosa canina), a beautiful climbing shrub that produces gorgeous ruby red, oval fruit, known as ‘hips’ in Autumn. The hips can still be spotted in the hedgerows in January and February. Although they are no longer ideal for making herbal medicine at this point, they are an important source of winter food for birds.

Some people may remember being given doses of rosehip syrup as an immune-supporting source of vitamin C. Herbalists also harness its powers for aches, pains and inflammation associated with conditions such as arthritis. Clinical trials confirm that rosehip powder consistently reduces osteoarthritic pain and inflammation, outperforming placebo and without the digestive upset of a typical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Another study found that its galactolipid content offers targeted reductions in pain and rheumatic inflammation.

Many of the different types of British wild and cultivated roses have hips that can be used to make syrups. Have you made syrup before or do you remember being given a dose? What is your favourite rose to use? Tell us more in the comments 🌹🌿👇🏻

26/01/2026

Sustainability is the theme for this season’s Power of Plants magazine. Our editor Jenny Carden-Porrett interviewed Ann Armbrecht of the Sustainable Herbs Initiative (SHI) to find out more.

As an anthropologist by training and then a herbalist student with Rosemary Gladstar, Ann has a deep interest in the relationships that we have with people and plants. According to Ann, the aim of SHI's work is “to be a North Star” and help guide people inside and outside the herbal industry to source and buy herbal products that support health in its widest sense. Ann has some suggestions of where we can all start, whether we are herbalists, herbal product companies or consumers.

- Grow and harvest some of your own herbs. It gives real insight into the work and the costs involved to produce high quality medicinal plants.

- Take a deep dive into one herb - where it grows, how it grows, who produces or harvests it and its conservation status. Follow its journey and share that with others, whether in your herbal practice or herbal community.

- Ask questions of the companies that you buy herbs, herbal supplements or herbal products from. Do they know where their herbs come and if not, why not? Let them know why this matters. SHI is also producing a new consumer guide to help with this.

- If you are a company sourcing medicinal plants, join an SHI Learning Lab. They bring together stakeholders from across the global supply chain to explore how to make meaningful change in the herbal industry.

The next Learning Lab starts on January 27th, DM for more information.

09/01/2026

The Winter edition of our Power of Plants magazine is out soon! ❄️ 📖

This edition includes:
🌿Sustainable Herbalism: A guide for medical herbalists by Jonas Brab
🌿Harnessing wild British herbs: Sustainable solutions for Women's health by Natasha Richardson
🌿 Foraging sustainably-is it possible? By Mark Williams
🌿Sustainability of our herbs by Dylan Warren-Davis
🌿Curious cures for curios minds by Suzann Elsahen
🌿Clinic tour with Sue Bottomley by Jan Alton

PoP Magazine gives you a quarterly dose of articles, opinion, research and updates, showcasing all of the amazing ways that plants, practitioners and people interact. 🪴 😀

Full Members of the Institute receive a free copy of our magazine.
Not a member? You can buy an issue, or subscribe, on our website (link in bio)

Happy herbal reading!

05/01/2026

Culpeper’s Warming and Protective Herbs

📚 Our Library holds two remarkable editions of Culpeper’s Complete Herbal both beautifully illustrated (1849 & 1865). Long before the rise of modern medicine, herbalists turned to 'nature’s pharmacy' for comfort and resilience. Among the most influential voices was Nicholas Culpeper, whose Complete Herbal (1653) endures as a cornerstone of Western herbal knowledge. By translating and publishing medical texts into English rather than Latin, Culpeper opened the door for ordinary people to understand and use herbal remedies, breaking down barriers between medical expertise and everyday practice. Today we are highlighting the herbs he described as warming and protective remedies for the winter months, that continue to inspire herbal practice today.

Culpeper highlighted herbs with warming qualities as essential allies during the colder months. Rosemary was praised for 'strengthening the heart and lifting the spirits', while sage was valued for 'sharpening the senses and drying excess moisture in the body'. Thyme and hyssop were trusted companions for winter coughs, helping to clear phlegm and ease respiratory discomfort. Culpeper cited these herbs for not only warming the body but also invigorating digestion and circulation, counteracting the sluggishness of damp, cold weather.

Alongside warming herbs, Culpeper emphasised plants that offered protection against seasonal illnesses. Garlic, with its pungent strength, was described as a safeguard against 'putrid diseases,' fortifying the immune system and defending against infection. Elder, with its blossoms and berries, was a trusted remedy for fevers and colds, soothing the body and supporting recovery. These protective herbs were seen not only as treatments but as preventative measures, shielding the body from winter’s challenges.

Culpeper also recognised the emotional toll of winter, he noted herbs such as rosemary and borage for their ability to 'lift melancholy and restore cheer', reminding us that herbal medicine addresses both mind and body.

The Complete Herbal has been in print for over 370 years and these fabulous editions are housed in our Exeter office. 🌿

31/12/2025

Happy New Year from the National Institute of Medical Herbalists 🎉

We would like to wish you all the very best for the new year.

Herbal medicine has long offered support through the changing seasons, and our members are here to continue that tradition with care and expertise. If you’re curious about exploring herbs for your wellbeing, the new year is a wonderful time to start your herbal journey.

Together, let’s make 2026 a year of growth, resilience, and shared learning.

From all of us at the Institute 🌿

24/12/2025

Seasonal Greetings from the National Institute of Medical Herbalists 🌟 🌿

As the year draws to a close, we would like to extend our heartfelt seasonal greetings to all our followers.

Thank you for being part of this vibrant herbal community and for the dedication, passion, and care you bring to the world of herbal medicine.

With our very best wishes and herbal love for a joyful festive season.

From all of us at the Institute 🌿✨

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Clover House, James Court, South Street
Exeter
EX11EE

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Tuesday	10am - 4pm
Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 12pm

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http://www.nimh.org.uk/

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The National Institute of Medical Herbalists is the largest professional body regulating medical herbalists in the United Kingdom. It was first established as the National Association of Medical Herbalists in 1864 by a group of herbalists from the north of England, but currently has members in many countries. Members have undergone a lengthy training program before registering as qualified medical herbalists. Practitioners train for at least three years to BSc level including over 500 hours of clinical practice, and adhere to a strict code of conduct before they can gain MNIMH after their name. NIMH-registered medical herbalists are trained in the same diagnostic skills as mainstream doctors and take a holistic approach to health.