:Medicinal Seed Saving

Seed Security Project

Herbalists Without Borders is passionate about saving and sustaining our native medicinals and wants to teach others how to preserve seeds and propagate medicinal plants. There are a number of organizations that focus on saving seeds for food production, but seed saving for medicinal plants is not common.  While we believe that food is a primary source of medicine, HWB also wants to promote Seed Saving models that include medicinal plants.  

HWB works to support Chapters globally who want to save seeds and get gardens growing. We also have an HWB US Seed Bank that grows and saves seeds from our own gardens. To find out more, write to Denise at the office!

HWB US has a Seed Grant kit program that works to get healthy food and medicinal herbs to HWB groups to grow gardens in their communities. HWB groups not only grow medicinals, but food, as food justice is health justice, and healthy food makes communities healthier. Many HWB Chapters grow gardens that are used for education, and that grow food to donate to local people - such as growing food for the food pantry, providing fresh produce to take as you need at free clinics or community events, and to use to make and educate on the use of foods, spices, and herbs for wellness. 

Our HWB International Headquarters is located at a farm that is a part of the United Plant Savers Botanical Sanctuary Network, where we grow many medicinals and also work to preserve endangered and at risk plants. 

Resource Links


MEMBERS:
Our member portal on the website has over 900 resources, including many downloadable files about seed saving, seed starting, seed banks, seed libraries, how to get started, and more. HWB also offers technical support to help members get their gardens going, and to help international members create models like the US system, to connect growers and seed savers together.

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait
a single moment before starting to improve the world.” 
~ Anne Frank

Protect Our Seed Libraries!

After Pennsylvania’s Department of Agriculture adopted a policy restricting the Simpson Seed Library in Mechanicsburg, PA from sharing locally saved seed, several states have followed suit, threatening the continued existence of seed libraries. Seed laws exist to regulate entities that sell or commercially exchange seeds. A seed library is a noncommercial nonprofit, cooperative, or governmental organization that donates seed and receives donations of seed, especially by encouraging members to learn about seed saving and donate seeds to the library. Donation of seed is not required in a seed library, so the sharing of seeds does not even rise to the level of barter or exchange, let alone sell. Seed libraries are far different in nature and scale than commercial seed companies and need to be appropriately recognized under the law to protect their ability to continue freely sharing seeds in communities across the country.

At Risk Medicinal Plants

​United Plant Savers has compiled an excellent list of At Risk Medicinal Plants. Their website details why the plant is at risk and reviews botanical information about the plants.  For more detailed information, please see United Plant Savers. 

“At-Risk” List 
American Ginseng - Panax quinquefolius
Bloodroot - Sanguinaria canadensis
Black Cohosh - Actaea racemosa L.
Blue Cohosh - Caulophyllum thalictroides
Echinacea - Echinacea spp.
Eyebright - Euphrasia spp.
False Unicorn Root - Chamaelirium luteum
Goldenseal - Hydrastis canadensis
Lady’s Slipper Orchid - Cypripedium spp.
Lomatium - Lomatium dissectum
Osha - Ligusticum porteri, L. spp.
Peyote - Lophophora williamsii
Sandalwood - Santalum spp. (Hawaii only)
Slippery Elm - Ulmus rubra
Sundew - Drosera spp.
Trillium, Beth Root -Trillium spp.
True Unicorn - Aletris farinosa
Venus’ Fly Trap - Dionaea muscipula
Virginina Snakeroot - Aristolochia serpentaria
Wild Yam - Dioscorea villosa, D. spp.

“To-Watch” List
Arnica - Arnica spp.
Butterfly Weed - Asclepias tuberosa
Cascara Sagrada - Frangula purshiana (Rhamnus)
Chaparro - Casatela emoryi
Elephant Tree - Bursera microphylla
Gentian - Gentiana spp.
Goldthread - Coptis spp.
Kava Kava - Piper methysticum (Hawaii only)
Lobelia - Lobelia spp.
Maidenhair Fern - Adiantum pendatum
Mayapple - Podophyllum peltatum
Oregon Grape - Mahonia spp.
Partridge Berry - Mitchella repens
Pink Root - Spigelia marilandica
Pipsissewa - Chimaphila umbellata
Spikenard - Aralia racemosa, A. californica
Stone Root - Collinsonia canadensis
Stream Orchid - Epipactis gigantea
Turkey Corn - Dicentra canadensis
White Sage - Salvia apiana
Wild Indigo - Baptisia tinctoria
Yerba Mansa - Anemopsis californica

VOLUNTEER>>

:::Medicinal Seed Saving & Security

Model medicinal seed saving & seed security project.

Contact Coordinator
Denise Cusack
​usdonationnetwork@hwbglobal.org

Jocelyn Perez Blanco
director@hwbglobal.org

Seed Saving Libraries

​Are you interested in connecting with a seed library?  They are all over the United States! Many public (book) libraries are working with seed saving libraries to offer seeds to the community too.  

A list of seed lending libraries located throughout the world at Sister Libraries. This website also includes a more extensive list of resources on how to launch and maintain a seed lending library. Seed libraries on Facebook. 

There is also a University Seed Libraries Association on Facebook.

Members, Chapters, Clinics, and Projects under HWB may be able to access our US seed grant program. Write the office for more info.

Herbalists Without Borders is sustained by donors & member volunteers delivering health, wellness and humanitarian aid to those in need. ​​