TL;DR / Quick Answer: Many widely used medicinal herbs - including Golden Seal, Black Cohosh, Slippery Elm, and Echinacea - are being over-harvested from wild populations at an unsustainable rate. The best-documented work on this is being done by United Plant Savers (UPS) in North America, which lists 20 herbs at direct risk of loss and 23 more on a watch list. What you can do: support UPS financially, grow at-risk herbs in cultivation, and choose products that are certified sustainably sourced. Growing your own is one of the most direct and meaningful contributions any herb grower can make.
Your cup of coffee might actually be more sustainably sourced than some of the herbal medicine on your shelf. That is not a comfortable thought - but it is one worth sitting with.
Which Medicinal Herbs Are Endangered?
The raw, unpleasant truth is that a significant number of herbs currently in commercial trade are being harvested from wild populations that are already under serious pressure. This is not widely talked about. The herbal medicine industry does not always wear its supply chain problems on its sleeve.
Just because something is a herb does not mean it is green, ethical, or sustainable. The word "natural" on a label tells you nothing about how the plant was sourced or whether its wild population can sustain that level of harvest.
The Herbs Most at Risk
The most thorough and credible work currently being done in this area is by United Plant Savers (UPS), a North American organisation working specifically with native herbs under threat. Their assessment lists:
- 20 herbs at direct risk of loss - including Golden Seal, Black Cohosh, Slippery Elm, and Echinacea
- 23 herbs on their watch list - species showing early signs of population pressure
These are not obscure plants. These are herbs that most herbalists and many home health practitioners use regularly. The fact that they are widely known and widely used is precisely why they are under pressure.
You can view the full UPS at-risk species list here.
Why Are Medicinal Herbs Becoming Endangered?
There are two main drivers, and they tend to compound each other.
Over-Collection from the Wild
When demand for a herb increases - driven by growing interest in natural medicine, export markets, or a particular health trend - the easiest and cheapest way to meet that demand is to harvest more from wild populations. There is rarely a regulatory framework strong enough to prevent this from happening faster than wild populations can recover.
Habitat Destruction
Even where wild harvest is not the primary problem, the habitats where medicinal herbs grow are under pressure from land clearing, agriculture, and development. A plant that has survived centuries of modest harvest can disappear quickly when its habitat is fragmented or destroyed.
The Cultivation Gap
The third factor - and the one that herb growers can directly address - is the lack of cultivated supply. For many at-risk herbs, there simply is not enough being grown in cultivation to meet demand without drawing on wild populations. That gap is where growers like you and I come in.
Why Should Australian Herb Growers Care About North American Plants?
Because a significant portion of the herbal Materia Medica used by Australian herbalists comes from North America. Golden Seal, Black Cohosh, Slippery Elm, Echinacea - these are not exotic curiosities. They are staples of herbal practice here, and they are being sourced from wild populations under pressure on the other side of the world.
In my own growing work at Tinderry Mountain Herbs over the past 14-plus years, I have grown at least 10 species from the UPS at-risk list and 7 from the watch list. It is entirely possible to cultivate these plants in Australia. It takes knowledge, patience, and the right conditions - but it can be done, and it matters.
The situation in Australia and other countries is less well-documented than in North America, but that does not mean it is less serious. It means we have less data - which is its own kind of problem.
What Is United Plant Savers Doing About It?
UPS runs several practical initiatives worth knowing about:
Botanical Sanctuary Network
People are encouraged to grow at-risk plants in their own area - creating a distributed network of cultivation that reduces pressure on wild populations. This is something any herb grower can participate in, regardless of scale.
UPS Botanical Sanctuary
A 370-acre property in Ohio that hosts education and research activities, acts as a plant repository and propagation centre, and is open for visits and stays. A serious, working conservation site.
Forest Grown Verified Program
A voluntary, third-party verification process for non-timber forest products - including herbs - that are produced and harvested sustainably and legally. When you see this certification, it means something.
Sacred Seeds
A global non-profit creating and supporting plant sanctuaries that address the rapid loss of biodiversity and cultural knowledge, through living gardens focused on medicinal, ceremonial, food, and craft plants.
Community Engagement
Artist fellowships, community conservation awards, and partnerships with herbal education providers - building the broader culture of care that long-term conservation requires.
What Can You Actually Do to Help?
Here is where it gets practical. There are three things any herb grower or herbal medicine user can do right now:
1. Grow At-Risk Herbs in Cultivation
This is the most direct contribution a herb grower can make. Every plant of Golden Seal, Black Cohosh, or Echinacea grown in cultivation is one less reason to harvest from the wild. You do not need a large property. You need the right knowledge and a genuine commitment to the plants.
If you want to understand what growing rare medicinal herbs actually involves - the challenges, the rewards, and the long game - read my post on why I started growing medicinal herbs and what I learned along the way.
2. Support United Plant Savers
For a modest annual contribution, you can directly support the organisation doing the most credible conservation work in this space. Visit the UPS website here to find out how.
3. Choose Sustainably Sourced Products
When buying herbal products, look for Forest Grown Verified certification or other credible sourcing information. Ask suppliers where their herbs come from. The market responds to what buyers demand - and if enough people ask the right questions, supply chains change.
Frequently Asked Questions About Endangered Medicinal Herbs
Which medicinal herbs are most endangered?
According to United Plant Savers, the herbs at greatest risk in North America include Golden Seal, Black Cohosh, Slippery Elm, American Ginseng, Bloodroot, Blue Cohosh, Osha, Spikenard, Trillium, and Wild Indigo, among others. Many of these are also widely used in Australian herbal practice. The full at-risk list is available on the UPS website.
Is Echinacea endangered?
Some species of Echinacea are on the UPS at-risk list, particularly those harvested from wild populations. Cultivated Echinacea is widely available and is the more sustainable choice. When buying Echinacea products, look for cultivated rather than wild-harvested sources.
Can I grow Golden Seal in Australia?
Yes - Golden Seal (Hydrastis canadensis) can be grown in Australia, though it requires specific conditions: dappled shade, rich moist soil, and patience, as it is a slow-growing plant. It is one of the most important at-risk herbs to bring into cultivation, and growing it here reduces dependence on imported wild-harvested product.
How do I know if a herbal product is sustainably sourced?
Look for the Forest Grown Verified certification from United Plant Savers, or ask the supplier directly about their sourcing. Reputable herbal companies will be able to tell you whether their herbs are cultivated or wild-harvested, and from where. If a supplier cannot answer that question, that tells you something.
What is the difference between wild-harvested and cultivated herbs?
Wild-harvested herbs are collected from naturally occurring plant populations in their native habitat. Cultivated herbs are grown intentionally, either on farms or in gardens. For at-risk species, cultivated is almost always the more sustainable and ethical choice. Quality can be excellent from either source - but the conservation implications are very different.
Why This Matters
The herbs that are disappearing from the wild are not replaceable on any human timescale. A Golden Seal population that has taken decades to establish cannot be restored in a season. Once a wild population is gone, it is gone - and with it goes not just a medicine, but a piece of ecological and cultural knowledge that cannot be recovered.
There are real livelihoods to be built in growing these plants sustainably. There is real conservation value in every herb grower who takes on an at-risk species and learns to cultivate it well. And there is a direct connection between the choices we make as growers and buyers, and the fate of these plants in the wild.
This is not someone else's problem. It is ours - and the good news is that herb growers are exactly the people who can do something about it.
Inside Herbology Hub, this kind of knowledge - which herbs to grow, why they matter, and how to cultivate them well - is central to what we do. Growing medicinal herbs is not just a hobby. Done well, it is an act of conservation.
Ready to Grow With Purpose? Join Herbology Hub
If you want to grow medicinal herbs with real knowledge behind you - including at-risk and rare species - Herbology Hub is where that work happens. It is a community and learning space for serious herb growers who care about doing this properly.
Join Herbology Hub here and start growing herbs that matter.
First published: August 2022 | Last updated: June 2026
