Ethical Sources for Medicinal Seeds & Plants
If you grow (or are planning to grow) your own apothecary of herbs it’s essential to find a healthy seed source! When we grow plants for medicine we create an intimate relationship with the plants’ quality and healthy seeds are the foundation of that relationship.
Terms to Describe Seeds/Plants
Open-Pollinated: Pollinated by insects, birds, wind, or other natural forces. No human intervention. Tend to be easy to save these seeds and grow true to type. Almost all herbal seeds are open-pollinated.
Heirloom: Have been handed down for generations. Typically regional varieties with hand-selected specific traits. They are open-pollinated and have stable characteristics from season to season. More common with veggies than with herbs.
Hybrid: Created from cross-pollinating two species/varieties to get desired characteristics. Hybridization happens naturally in many plants and humans have been breeding plants like this for generations. Not true to seed season after season like open-pollinated or heirloom seeds. If you save seeds from hybrid plants it’s tough to know what traits they’ll grow (it’s always fun to grow mysteries, but it’s not the best for when you’re growing medicines). Hybridized herb seeds are rare but potted herbs may be hybrids.
Cultivars: Cultivated varieties resulting from hybridization, selection, or natural mutations. Need to be propagated asexually (cuttings or division) to keep them true to type. Growing from seed the offspring usually won’t have the same desired characteristics as the parent plant, so not the best for growing medicine. A plant mutt!🥰
GMO: Genetically modified in a laboratory to produce the desired characteristics. Humans modify the genes through practices like gene-splicing.
Cultivating seed sovereignty is so important! Put your money into purchasing ethical, organic, and sustainable seeds and save them season after season! In this era of big agribusiness and mega-corporations patenting and controlling the distribution of seeds and plants it’s more important than ever.
Herbal Seed Suppliers & Nurseries in the United States
There’s so many wonderful suppliers out there, please add your favorites if you have recommendations! Also some of these companies ship internationally! I believe all companies listed are all-star suppliers, but I always recommend vetting each source yourself as some may offer both conventionally grown and organic seeds. Be sure to purchase species native to your area!
Strictly Medicinal Seeds: Oregon based with the largest collection of organically grown medicinal herb seeds & plants. Highly recommend!
Prairie Moon Nursery: LOTS of native plants of the eastern and central United States. Very affordable, organically grown, and cooperatively owned. Highly recommend!
Alliance of Native Seed Keepers: Indigenous owned. Medicinal and culinary herbs, flowers, and veggie seeds. Their mission is to redevelop the spiritual bonds between Indigenous peoples and plants. Highly recommend!
Fedco Seeds: Cooperatively-owned & based in Maine. Wide variety of medicinal and culinary herbs, native plants, and edible shrubs and trees. LOTS of cold-hardy varieties if that fits your climate!
Southern Exposure Seeds: Heirloom varieties. LOTS of varieties that will thrive in the mid-Atlantic and southeast US if that fits your climate!
Native Seeds Search: Indigenous run nonprofit seed conservation organization based in Tucson, Arizona. Mission to conserve and promote arid-adapted crop diversity of the Southwest if this fits your climate! Works to ensure that Indigenous people continue to have access to traditional seeds through their Native American Seed Request Program.
Crimson Sage Medicinal Plants Nursery: Small, woman owned, & based in northwest California. Huge selection of rare and endangered live plants and hard-to-find native American and European herbs.
Eloheh Seeds: Indigenous owned, based at the Eloheh Indigenous Center for Earth Jusice in Oregon. They have herb, flower, and vegetable seeds all organically grown, non-GMO, open-pollinated, and farm-direct source.
The Good Seed Co.: Based in Whitefish, Montana. Sells medicinal herbs, vegetables, and flower seeds selected for their permaculture value. Regionally adapted heirloom, open-pollinated, and non-GMO.
Hudson Valley Seed Co.: Based in Hudson Valley, New York. Certified organic, heirloom, and open-pollinated herb, flower, and vegetable seeds.
Indigenous Seed Initiative: Indigenous owned source for non-GMO wild and cultivated seeds from North America, Central and South America, Asia, Africa, and Europe.
Melanated Organics: Black owned source for sustainable, non-hybrid, organic seeds. Lots of herbs, vegetable, and flower seeds. Also has a selection of teas, garden supplies, health products, and body products.
True Love Seeds: Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Rare, open-pollinated, culturally important herbs, flowers, and vegetable seeds. All of their famers are committed to seed sovereignty and sustainable growing. They also have a Tumblr! @seedkeeping
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