WE GROW GREAT HERBALISTS
Ready to get your hands dirty?
The beginnings
In 2003, founder Nicole Telkes, took her passion for plants, healing, education, and nature and created the Wildflower School. As curriculum grew and teachers were added, we've remained dedicated to inspiring, empowering, and building a strong herbal community. The original, onsite offerings were developed in and around Austin, Texas. The school follows a bioregional Western, holistic tradition. Read more about our business philosophy here
Core Values
We work to be of service to the plants and our community. We use herbalism as a tool to build a stronger and healthier world. Social and environmental justice plays a strong role in our evolving curriculum . Read our statement of inclusivity here.
- Learn and use bioregional medicinal plants
- Weedcrafting and wildcrafting for the future
- Deepening our connection to plant spirits
- Making herbalists and herbal medicine accessible to all parts of our community
- Honoring oral tradition and multiculturalism in herbalism
- Teaching our families and community the responsible, ethical, and safe use of herbal medicine
Where we are Heading
Every year we grow and improve our curriculum based on student and teacher feedback. Over the last 15 years, our small apprenticeship-style program has blossomed into a to a large, year-round herb school with basic, intermediate, and advanced offerings and over a dozen core teachers and staff . We keep our onsite classes small, but are excited to have more and more online resources and offerings as we grow.
Growing Herbalists since 2003
Herbal Medicine /// Community /// Flower Essences /// Traditional Healing /// Spirit /// Fresh Plant Tinctures /// Permaculture /// Science ///Folk Remedies /// Art /// Self Care/// Botany/// Free Clinics /// Holism /// Vitalism /// Natural Health /// Human Life Skills /// Medicine as Resistance /// Plant Walks /// Gardening /// Body Systems /// Mystery /// Self-Empowerment ///
Join us on the green path, to learn about plant-based healing of body, mind, and spirit. Our education philosophy incorporates Vitalism and Deep Ecology into Traditional Holistic Western Herbalism. Connect to plants and other people like you, who are searching for herbal wisdom.
- Main Onsite Campus: Austin TX
- Pacific NW and Desert SW Retreats and Classes
- Online Learning
CLICK HERE TO SEE WHATS COMING UP
FEATURED: Check out our next class
In DEPTH PROGRAMS
We offer beginning, intermediate and advanced training in holistic western herbalism with a bioregional focus. No matter where you are on your herbal journey we are here to facilitate you going deeper, whether its foundational materia medica, outdoor skills, clinical training or herbal first aid.
iNTENSIVES
Want to increase your knowledge on a certain subject in holistic Western Herbal Medicine? We offer intensives throughout the year on herbal preparation making, properties & actions, body systems and first aid, plant identification and harvesting, and more. Next Intensive begins
INTERNSHIPS & RETREATS
These are open to small groups of committed herbalists that want to spend more time with the plants or learning hands-on skills in specific areas of focus. These are an additional charge and open to all with apriority given to our program students.
2 weeks ago by wildflowerherbschool FEBRUARY FLOWER FEVER ❄Prunus mexicana❄ This sweet Mexican plum is out and showing off all of its stinky sweet graceful blooms. This is a love letter from down South to our Northern plant lovers that spring is coming!!! Mexican plum is native to Texas and our hometown of Austin. The branches may be somewhat of an analog, or substitute for, Prunus serotina, wild cherry bark. Many early Eclectic physicians used different types of Prunus in medicine. I have had success using it in oxymels for coughs. One important thing to remember: never debate the trunk of a tea. When recipes
2 weeks ago by wildflowerherbschool WILD GREEN JUICE Our class drank down this lovely array of green allies from the garden and the wild weedy outer edges of the grounds. Our eyes got brighter, our hearts started to sing and we fed our bodies and spirit with the goodness of the season. Green juice can be so much more exciting than wheatgrass!!! #chickweed #cleavers #roses #kumquats #borage #mint #violet #fennel #wildflowerherbschool #wildflowerschoolofbotanicalmedicine #juice #greenjuice #wildweeds #weeds #herbalstudies #herbalism #herbalist #herbs #yum #austintx #austin #atx
1 day ago by wildflowerherbschool MYSTERY MATERIA MEDICA ♂️ As our school evolves, I have been working to transform our offerings to the online world in interactive and meaningful ways. I have spent about 20 years as a herbal educator and I challenge myself and the other teachers to keep things fresh, hands on, and now I am creating learning experiences that are more than just reading or watching a video on the internet. One of the most popular parts of our program is our mystery provings. Our onsite students learn how to read what's going on with a plant by sampling a cup of
3 days ago by wildflowerherbschool THATS A WRAP!!! So tired but so happy. Thank you so much to the Mother Earth Living Fair and everyone that came to see us in Texas. I had a great time teaching, making medicine, and hope to see folks again soon either online or in person. Next stop with @motherearthfair Nashville is May!!! Come out and get involved with our community of herbnerds. #wildflowerschoolofbotanicalmedicine #wildflowerherbschool #motherearthfair #naturalliving #diy #herbalmedicine #herbs #herbal #herbalist #herbalism
2 weeks ago by wildflowerherbschool FRESH CHICKWEED OIL Step 1 wilt chickweed to 1/3 of its weight Step 2 macerate into cold pressed olive oil at a ratio of 1:2 Step 3 let infuse in oil but it needs to breathe so cover it with cheesecloth not a Mason lid Step 4 wait until the oil turns a emerald green. This depends on the air temperature of your region. If it's too warm it can rot Step 5 decant and strain off the oil and keep in the fridge Chickweed oil is great for inflammation and itchy skin!!! Its nutritive and soothing. One of my
Online Learning
A warm welcome to those of you following the green path! We are excited to offer online herbal education to you through our site. Here are our 2019 offerings
- free online library with a blog and resources for students
- Live Single Online Class webinars listed here
- Audio Only downloads
- Recorded Webinars
Creating Sanctuaries in our Community:
Sowing the seeds of the herbal revolution one wildflower at a time!
Our herb school has educated students in holistic Western Herbalism since 2003. As our students and alumni thrive and grow, so has the school. In 2014, we stretched our wings and added a new campus. We now steward Big Moon Bee Farm, 8.5 acres just east of Austin as a botanical sanctuary, and are proud part of the United Plant Savers Botanical Sanctuary Network. In 2016, we received a grant from the Native Plant Society of Texas to build garden beds for offering important plants for all phases of the Monarchs life cycle. In 2017 we installed honeybee hives and are now establishing our apiary. We remain a part of the Austin community with our partners at the American Botanical Council in East Austin, and participate in community outreach through our Wildflower Chapter of Herbalists Without Borders. Join us on your path as a herbalist, either online or in person. Learn how to seed herbalism in your own and be part of the important calling of protecting plants and people through herbal medicine
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