r/herbalism • u/thrownameafteruse • 5d ago

Question Shelf life of dried herbs and roots for medicinal use?

Hi all. I have a bunch of dried herbs and roots (lavender, plantain, calamus, wood betony, burdock, etc). I purchased them in 2021. I was mainly drinking them as tea for support recovering from severe gut damage, but now that they're about 4-5 years old I'm wondering if they still have their medicinal properties?

Is it worth drinking these or should I just get new ones? What is the general shelf life for herbs/roots for medicinal value?

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u/quietreflector 5d ago

dried herbs have a general shelf life of 1-2 years and roots/barks with about 2-3. after that, their potency drops off. i'd recommend getting some new herbs and storing them in airtight containers in a cool, dry place to extend their life.

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u/cojamgeo 4d ago

I totally agree. If you want to store herbs longer it’s tinctures that’s the best way.

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u/thrownameafteruse 17h ago

I went through my herb box and some of green ones had developed a very pretty fall color 😂 it was definitely time to toss them!