Lost Art of Herbalism: Let’s Keep the Greens Alive

By Martyna
April 2025

As a Biodiversity Literacy VIP member, I spend time mapping the areas of St Andrews using specialized geographic information system (GIS) tools like QField and QGIS; QField is a mobile app used to record the locations of various species with precise GPS coordinates, while QGIS is a desktop software that allows me to compile these observations into comprehensive biodiversity maps. These digital tools allow us to document and monitor the populations and locations of local species, making it easier to understand our local biodiversity and enabling us to teach others to appreciate it. My attention to flora has sparked a deeper curiosity about the plants, specifically common herbs, around us.

Consider your morning tea – it has a richer history than many expect. The herbs and leaves were likely plucked from a completely different corner of the world, treated, bagged, and sent to your cup. A friend of mine has an undying love for rooibos tea – that she has passed on to me – which she harvests from her back yard in South Africa; rooibos is native to that region.

This led me to a simple online search: "What herbs are native to Scotland?" To my surprise, the search engine provided a wealth of results. I was already familiar with some of the herbs from seeing them locally, growing proudly in grounds that many overlook, but if more people explored this simple question, they might discover that Scotland's rich biodiversity provides more useful plants than one might imagine. The money spent on herbs in shops could be replaced by efforts to maintain local grasslands and encourage the thriving growth of herbs highly beneficial to both humans and wildlife.

What herbs?

You might be wondering, what herbs am I on about? Well, Scotland's temperate, oceanic climate creates a challenging yet unique environment for plants. With average temperatures ranging from 5-15°C (41-59°F) throughout the year and high precipitation levels between 800-2000mm annually, Scotland offers conditions that select for hardy, adaptable species. Despite challenges like limited sunshine (only 1,400-1,800 hours per year) and frequent strong coastal winds, many plants that have adapted to survive in these conditions.

While we're familiar with Scottish-grown cereals (barley, oats, wheat), root vegetables (potatoes, turnips, carrots), brassicas (kale, cabbage, broccoli), and berries, many still overlook the wealth of herbs that thrive here.

Oher non-native herbs that thrive in Scotland's climate include mint, chives, thyme, sage, and parsley. Heard of these before, haven’t you? These plants tolerate cool temperatures, high rainfall, and limited sunshine, making them well-suited for Scotland's unique growing environment. Many are also adapted to the acidic, peaty soils found throughout the country. So, the next time you wish to make a mojito, consider planting mint at home. You'll not only have fresh herbs at your fingertips but also support pollinators like bees while contributing to ecosystem health.

Why choose herbs?

A massive part of our Biodiversity Literacy VIP is promoting the upkeep of ecosystems and encouraging biodiversity via efforts like working with botanic gardens in supporting moth capture and identification for local species awareness, encouraging pro-green events such as the clothes swap etc for reduction in local waste as well as helping re-write St Andrews University’s Biodiversity strategy for it to ensure the grounds are kept as green as possible. Choosing to care for and grow herbs is a step in such direction.

Herbs have been used for centuries as medicinal remedies and culinary enhancers, a tradition that remains strong in Eastern and Southern European countries. Unfortunately, in Western countries, some beneficial herbs have been misclassified as weeds and are systematically removed from landscapes. Not only does this destroy immediate local biodiversity but things like soil erosion, lack of pollination and reduction of ecosystem stability become a massive problem. Our VIP project strongly focuses on such education, that most plant species are beneficial despite common belief of their negative impacts.

The benefits of maintaining herbs and plant species extend far beyond human use. Plants, more generally, provide essential habitat and food sources for a diverse range of wildlife. Their flowers attract crucial pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hoverflies, many of which are currently experiencing population declines. By growing herbs for personal use, you create microhabitats that support these species and the wider food web they belong to. For example, dill serves as host plants for swallowtail butterfly caterpillars, while lavender is a favourite of bees. Many herbs also perform valuable ecosystem services. Deep-rooted herbs draw nutrients from the subsoil, making them available to other plants when their leaves decompose. Plants like heather prevent soil erosion on hillsides, while water-loving herbs like mint and meadowsweet help filter pollutants from waterways.

Herbs not only provide an experience for the senses but can also help little lives of the critters many overlook! Bee pollination, for example, uphold 35% of global food production. That is not far from half! But the bigger and more important number is that 75% of the world’s food crops benefit from pollinators in some way! Encourage your garden to be greener, if you can, and let the pollinators thrive!

As a volunteer at the local botanic gardens also, I'm deeply excited that our team is implementing a sensory garden where herbs will be the focal point. This garden will allow visitors to experience herbs through taste, touch, and smell, while educating people about the ecological importance of these plants. It will demonstrate how even small herb gardens can support biodiversity and local ecosystem health. Come along if you are local, I hope we will manage to surprise you even more with the amazing power a herb can have.

The Happy Gardener:

After what I hope is a successful blog in showing you how herbs may save the world, I would like you to experience the true connection of what finding, identifying and growing a herb can feel like. A quick chat with one of my volunteering buddies, I was able to compile some advice from a local herbalist, who has been practising her craft for many years.

To grow a herb of choice, start with a place that has the most sunlight. In Scotland, it is often south-facing. The soil of preference should likely contain good drainage, where raised beds are preferred in wet areas. “They can be excessively picky but don’t worry, plant them in and they will grow.” She explains that poor soil is still good enough as small amounts of natural and added fertiliser will help – “work with what you have!”

Begin by storing annual herbs, like basil, coriander, and dill, indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost (typically late May in Scotland), sowing seeds in trays with seed compost, keeping them moist and in a warm spot. Harden off seedlings gradually before transplanting them outdoors. A stern piece of advice was “don’t get too eager, they like some warmth in the cold too”. She describes that you will be able to distinguish when it is ready to go outside or just stick to the longer 8 weeks indoors for safety. Lastly, maintenance requires some love by harvesting regularly to encourage bushy growth! Water is essential in low moisture weather, but we don’t really have that here anyway. “You’ll do great!”, she encourages.

Here is a shameless plug of some parsley in my garden and some nearby wild garlic:

Identifying wild herbs is slightly trickier but foraging can be rewarding, however, safety is paramount. Identifying common Scottish herbs requires familiarisation with plant families and their characteristics. For example, the mint family (Lamiaceae) typically has square stems, opposite leaves and aromatic properties. Don’t be scared to use your senses. Look for the leaf arrangement, shape, edges, and flower structure, touch the distinct textures like the fuzzy leaves of sage or the waxy surface of bay and smell the aroma by crushing or ripping as each herb has a distinctive scent.

Note where the plant is growing, as despite many local herbs enjoying the Scottish weather, some may like a boggy area over a grassland or woodland. Learning how plants change through the seasons is also key. Meadowsweet's distinctive cream flower plumes appear in summer, while its reddish stems and compound leaves are visible all year-round. To prevent you accidentally eating the wrong thing, carry a field guide specific to Scottish flora or use identification apps designed for the UK. A great one is I use is Pl@ntNet, an Instagram style app that allows plant identification or to simply post plant photos and become famous, you are free to choose!

The most important thing about finding and identifying herbs is to ensure that ethics are also upheld. To maintain the herbs’ usefulness in its local ecosystem and to promote biodiversity never harvest rare or protected species, take only what you need and do not rip out the plant (no more than 1/3 of a plant), avoid picking near roads or areas that might be sprayed with chemicals (you don’t really want to ingest that or destroy an already struggling plant) and always get permission if foraging on private land.

By growing herbs at home and learning to identify them in the wild, you'll develop a deeper connection to your local area while contributing to biodiversity conservation by understanding the importance of a wild herb and, perhaps, implementing these into a daily practice by growing them yourself. Whether you're using herbs medicinally, culinarily, or simply enjoying their beauty and fragrance, these remarkable plants offer a pathway to a more sustainable and nature-connected lifestyle for us and for other species. Seriously, your tea is not just tea, it is a herb that once allowed a pollinator to pollinate another herb, it may have prevented soil erosion or fed a local grouse or deer. Your mint could be fresher for an invigorating mojito if you pick it yourself.

Lost Art of Herbalism: Let’s Keep the Greens Alive

By Martyna April 2025

By Martyna
April 2025