About My Apothecary Shelf

My Apothecary Shelf started as an idea around 2012. Matthew had started learning and using herbal remedies for various issues, with some help by a few family members that had been using herbs for years. With his IT background, it wasn't long before he decided there had to be a better and faster way to find herbs and formulas he needed. And version 1 of this site was born.

It languished in a half-done stage for years because of the sheer amount of information that was needed to be added. AI provided a new method of data entry and new life was breathed into the project. After several weeks of development, version - now renamed to My Apothecary Shelf - was released. With many more added features than the first version even imagined. NOTE! The majority of the herb information was gathered and added via AI.

The first goal of this website is to provide a quick reference for herbs and formulas, an account is not needed for this basic access. The majority of information here is widely available online and in books - but either it's time consuming to find, or it's buried in pages full of advertising and pressure to purchase herbs or courses etc. That is not the goal in this site. The basic features - listing and searching for herbs or formulas will always be free, and free of advertising. In fact, advertising will never appear on this site.

The second goal of this website is to supply a way to filter herbs, or formulas, for energetics, properties, or ailments. Making it easier to select herbs for any remedy you may need. As well as allowing you to compare herbs in a simpler manner than flipping back and forth in a book. This also includes a substitution guide that allows you to directly compare herbs and filter them down to find a substitutional herb for one you don't have, or can't use. Again, the goal for these features is to make it faster to find the exact herbs or formulas you need.

The third goal was to provide a way to know what herbs I have on hand without looking through spreadsheets or pieces of paper. I also wanted to keep track of what herbs I may need to buy. That's where My Shelf and My Cart came from. This feature is also what provided the name for the site.

Membership has other benefits as well but the main purpose of the site is to provide and share information easily and quickly. That will always be the core objective of this site. Beginner or experienced pro alike should find this site a benefit to their practice of herbal medicine. It is not intended to replace physical books or courses - just an additional resource for those working in the wonderful environment of Herbalism.

The team at My Apothecary Shelf are always available for questions; If you have any thoughts, opinions, or recommendations for features, please email us. We're always happy to hear from you!