Native Herb Blending & Wild Apothecary

Learn the medicinal plants that already grow here, then turn them into tea, tincture and salve.

Booking now
Each session2 hr 30 min a session
How oftenOnce a week
Cohort8–12 per cohort
SeasonYear-round · a new cohort starts each month

What you leave with

A complete handmade apothecary kit: your own tea blend, tincture and salve

Native Southern California medicinal plants, ethical foraging, and the three preparations worth knowing how to make. Sage, elderberry, yarrow and wild rose, identified on the trail before anything is picked.

One stage is solvent chemistry and the next is beeswax ratios, which sounds clinical and is mostly standing at a bench smelling things.

What makes this one worth it

  • Native Botanical Literacy & Sustainable Harvest
  • Tinctures, Extracts & Botanical Infusions
  • Healing Salves, Body Balms & Herbal Oils
  • Artisan Tea Blending & Apothecary Showcase

What is included

  • All 4 sessions of the 4-week cohort — 10 hours of instruction
  • A place held for you for the whole run, in a cohort of 8–12
  • Every piece of equipment listed below, provided on the day
  • Your instructor, and their attention in a group this size

What to bring

  • Water, and something to eat if you want it
  • Nothing else — the kit is provided

How it runs

Once a week · 2 hr 30 min a session

Frequency
1x / week — Sunday 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Session length
2 hr 30 min
Each month
4 sessions, about 10 hours
Cohort size
8 – 12 participants
Where
Botanical garden plots, shaded herb pavilion, and valley trails
Level
All levels welcome
Commitment
Monthly — stay as long as it is worth it

What you cover, in rotation

The group works through these in order and then begins again on fresh ground. Join at whatever stage it is on — nothing here assumes you were there for the last one, and nothing runs out — or drop in for a single session if that is all you can manage.

  1. Stage 1Native Botanical Literacy & Sustainable Harvest
    • Identifying California sagebrush, white sage, elderberry, yarrow and wild rose.
    • The Honorable Harvest guidelines and sustainable wildcrafting.
    • Drying techniques, moisture control and solar curing.
    • A garden herb walk, and assembling a personal field press folio.
  2. Stage 2Tinctures, Extracts & Botanical Infusions
    • Alcohol, vegetable glycerin and cider vinegar extraction methods.
    • Calculating fresh-to-dry herbal ratios for potent extracts.
    • Formulating immune-supportive and calming tinctures.
    • Maceration timing, pressing, and amber bottle storage.
  3. Stage 3Healing Salves, Body Balms & Herbal Oils
    • Slow solar and warm water-bath lipid extractions in jojoba and olive oils.
    • Balancing beeswax-to-oil ratios for smooth balms.
    • Formulating arnica-sage muscle rub and calendula skin salve.
    • Pouring into travel tins with pressed botanical labels.
  4. Stage 4Artisan Tea Blending & Apothecary Showcase
    • Balancing base notes, therapeutic actions and aromatic top notes.
    • Crafting bespoke loose-leaf blends — digestive, relaxation and energy.
    • A sensory tasting session with light botanical snacks.
    • Presenting your complete handmade apothecary kit.

4 sessions in the cycle, then it begins again on new ground.

Who leads it, and what is provided

Led by Certified community herbalist, ethnobotanist, or natural apothecary practitioner.

Plant identification, ethical harvest protocol, and formulation guidance.

On the table when you arrive

  • Amber glass dropper bottles and tins
  • Organic carrier oils and beeswax
  • Dried herbs and strainers
  • Field press folios

Before you book

Know before you go

  • Nothing here is medical advice, and no listing on this site claims a cure
  • Tell your instructor about allergies before anything is blended

Cancellations and refunds follow our cancellation policy, which is the same for every activity on this site.

When it runs

August 2026

M
T
W
T
F
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Runs Not running

Monday 10 August

  • 10amup to 12 guests

Usually runs Mondays.

This is the operator’s schedule, not live seat availability. We check the date with them and come back to you — nothing is booked or paid for here.

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