• emphasizes the practical use of herbs--cultivation, functions and applications, offering recipes and remedies
  
• looks at the symbolic and cultural significance of herbs
  
• shows the roles herbs play in an array of traditions, beliefs, and cultures, including China, Africa, as well as the North, South, and Central Americas, Oceania, and Australia
  
• examines the cultural context of hallucinogenic plants and their use in ritual
  
• reviews the changing patterns of herbal use throughout history
  
• offers herb-based medicinal recipes, as well as how to use herbs in aromatherapy, perfumes, and cosmetics

The heart of this book is a richly illustrated directory of plants and herbs that have medicinal uses throughout the world. The directory includes information on gathering, storing, and preparing each herb, as well as the plant's current application and its properties.

Healing Herbs features specially commissioned botanical artworks and more than 200 full-color illustrations, including art, artifacts, plant portraits, and documentary photographs from around the world.