MEDICAL BOTANY APPRENTICESHIP
Mastery of Flowering Plant Medicines
A 13-week transformational journey into the heart of the plant kingdom—one that will forever change the way you see, touch, and connect with plants.
Join Waitlist!Become the Herbalist You Were Born to Be
MEDICAL BOTANY APPRENTICESHIP: MASTERY OF THE FLOWERING PLANT MEDICINES
MODULE 1
WELCOME TO THE PLANT KINGDOM
Embark on a transformative journey into the healing world of plants with our comprehensive 13-week apprenticeship. You will learn botany and plant classification from a botanist, laying a solid foundation for systematically organizing and understanding the rich variety of edible and medicinal wild herbs on this planet. This foundational knowledge will supercharge your ability to learn about wild herbs, accelerating your expertise at an extraordinary rate.
- Lesson 1: Welcome to the Plant Kingdom.
- Lesson 2: Plant Taxonomy and Plant Classification.
- Lesson 3: Plant Systematics, how the plant kingdom is organized.
MODULE 2
WELCOME TO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF LEAVES.
Learn how to identify plants with confidence by learning:.
- Lesson 1: The Parts of the Leaf.
- Lesson 2: Leaf Arrangement.
- Lesson 3: Leaf Shape.
MODULE 3
THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF FLOWERS
If a wild herb is flowering, you can ALWAYS identify it to species. For this reason, it is critical for you to know the wonderful world of flowers so you can identify wild herbs with confidence.
In this module, you will learn:
- Lesson 1: Flower Structure.
- Lesson 2: Flower Shape.
- Lesson 3: Inflorescences.
MODULE 4
MINT FAMILY MEDICINE- LAMIACEAE
There are NO poisonous plants in the MINT family! The mint family includes the majority of herbs known to man. Learn how to include this family into your diet and medicine chest. I will teach you how to make an infused herbal oil with members from the mint family and herbal vinegars. You don't want to miss it!
In this module, you will learn:
- Lesson 1. The Botany of the Mint Family.
- Lesson 2: Where they Grow.
- Lesson 3: Ethnobotany and Traditional Use taught by Nishanth Gurav.
- Lesson 4: Medicinal Properties and Phytochemicals.
- Bonus Videos: Henbit, Chaste tree, Eastern horsemint, and Rosemary.
MODULE 5
SUNFLOWER & DAISY FAMILY MEDICINE-ASTERACEAE
The sunflower family (Asteraceae), for me, is the most important medicinal plant family. It is the second largest plant family in the world. No matter where you live, you have a wild herb in the aster family nearby that you can connect with for medicine.
- Lesson 1. The Botany of the Aster Family. Super fun!
- Lesson 2: Worldwide Distribution.
- Lesson 3: Ethnobotany and Traditional Use taught by Nishanth Gurav
- Lesson 4: Medicinal Properties and Phytochemicals.
- Bonus Videos:
- Common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
- Sow Thistle (Sonchus oleraceus)
- Wild Lettuce (Lactuca canadensis)
- Sea Myrtle (Baccharis halimifolia)
- Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
- Life Everlasting (Psedudognaphalium obtusifolium)
- Bonus videos contain how to make food and medicine with the wild herbs.
MODULE 6
PEA FAMILY MEDICINE- FABACEAE
The pea family (Fabaceae) is the world's third-largest plant family and one of the most essential edible plant families for humans.
In this module, you will learn:
- Lesson 1. The Botany of the Pea Family.
- Lesson 2: Worldwide Distribution.
- Lesson 3: Ethnobotany and Traditional Use taught by Nishanth Gurav.
- Lesson 4: Medicinal Properties and Phytochemicals.
- Bonus Videos: Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin) and Butterfly pea (Centrosema virginianum).
- Bonus videos contain how to make food and medicine with the wild herbs.
MODULE 7
ROSE FAMILY MEDICINE- ROSACEAE
The rose family (Rosaceae) contains many gifts to humankind, a diverse array of edible flowers and fruits.
In this module, you will learn:
- Lesson 1. The Botany of the Rose Family.
- Lesson 2: Worldwide Distribution.
- Lesson 3: Ethnobotany and Traditional Use taught by Nishanth Gurav.
- Lesson 4: Medicinal Properties and Phytochemicals.
- Bonus Videos: Black cherry (Prunus serotina), you will learn to how to properly identify this tree and make an effective cough syrup.
MODULE 8
MUSTARD FAMILY MEDICINE-BRASSICACEAE
The mustard family contains some of the world's most anticancer plants. Also, this plant family contains most of the vegetables you buy from the grocery store-broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts, kale, collard greens, mustard greens, turnips, ect.,. Learn how to forage your own members from this family.
In this module, you will learn:
- Lesson 1. The Botany of the Mustard Family.
- Lesson 2: Worldwide Distribution.
- Lesson 3: Ethnobotany and Traditional Use taught by Nishanth Gurav.
- Lesson 4: Medicinal Properties and Phytochemicals.
- Bonus Videos: Wild mustard (Brassica juncea), learn how to make a wild mustard from the flowers and much more. Learn what modern science has learned about glucosinolates.
MODULE 9
CARROT FAMILY MEDICINE- APIACEAE
Some of our most beloved wild herbs and herbs occur in the carrot family, such as fennel, cilantro, dill, etc. Poisonous plants such as water hemlock also occur in this family, so learn how to identify and confidently connect with this family.
In this module, you will learn:
- Lesson 1. The Botany of the Carrot Family.
- Lesson 2: Worldwide Distribution.
- Lesson 3: Ethnobotany and Traditional Use taught by Nishanth Gurav.
- Lesson 4: Medicinal Properties and Phytochemicals.
MODULE 10-HIBISCUS FAMILY MEDICINE- MALVACEAE.
The hibiscus family is such an important medicinal family to know to help bring healing to the urinary and digestive system
In this module, you will learn:
- Lesson 1. The Botany of the Hibiscus Family.
- Lesson 2: Worldwide Distribution.
- Lesson 3: Ethnobotany and Traditional Use taught by Nishanth Gurav.
- Lesson 4: Medicinal Properties and Phytochemicals.
Be an Herbalist that Knows How to Weave with the Land
This apprenticeship is for you if you want to:
1. Learn the language of plants.
2. Exponentially increase the number of wild herbs you know and can connect with.
3. Eat wild food seasonally.
4. Learn a clear, step-by-step path for learning wild herbs, the exact process I use to confidently identify, understand, and harness their natural healing powers.
5. Become a confident forager, teacher, herbalist, ethnobotanist, or healer.
This course is NOT for you if:
1. You don't LOVE plants.
2. You don't want to learn botany or how to identify plants. You want to rely solely on your plant app (which is only right 65% of the time).
3. You don't want to improve your health with wild plants.
4. You don't want to connect with nature daily.
If you feel a strong YES, I welcome you with OPEN arms.
INSIGHT ABOUT THIS BOTANICAL JOURNEY
- Registration for the Medical Botany Apprenticeship: Mastery of the Flowering Plant Medicines opens September 3rd, 2025, with graduation and certificates given on December 10th, 2025.
- To receive your certificate, you have to complete 65% of the course material.
- New content, including plant family videos, herbal medicine making videos, and botanical pdfs, will be released each week.
- Each week on Wednesday, we will have a live zoom call at 12PM eastern time. All zoom meetings will be recorded and uploaded to your course platform. So no sweat, if you can't make the scheduled course time.
- You will have lifetime access to the online material.
- This course is only offered once per year.
- Wild Herb Academy Members receive 30% off this course.
- This course will help deepen your herbal practice no matter where you are on your journey.
What You Will Receive:
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A solid foundation in Botany and Plant Classification, so you can learn new wild herbs on your own.
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A solid foundation in wildcrafted herbal medicine making.
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The ability to recognize wild herbs across the globe.
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An understanding of plant systematics, ethnobotany, field botany, and how plant medicine evolved throughout time.
YOUR TEACHERS
April Punsalan,
Botanist, Herbalist, and Ethnobotanist
April has a deep connection with wild herbs and natural healing. She has combined her 28 years of plant knowledge to create the signature Medical Botany course. This course is unlike any other herbal course you will ever take! It is a magical ride into the healing world of plants.
Nishanth Gurav,
Ethnobotanist
Nishanth carries a lifelong love for the bond between plants and people. Taught traditional healing practices by his grandmother, he now dedicates his research to the Gond Tribe — the oldest tribe in India. Through years of fieldwork, he has documented over 120 plants used in their healing traditions, helping to preserve this ancient wisdom for future generations
Testimonials
Autumn Fisher
“I’ve studied plants for decades, and Medical Botany is hands-down the most enriching and well-crafted course I’ve taken. The lessons are deep, clear, and soulfully delivered. If you’re serious about building a strong foundation in herbalism and truly connecting with the plant world, this course is a must.”
Katie Weinberger
"Medical Botany isn’t just about plants—it’s about empowerment. This course gave me the confidence to see the plants around me as true medicine and to work with them in daily life. Now, everywhere I go, I can identify, understand, and use them with trust and skill. April’s teaching empowered me to step fully into my path as an herbalist."
Chris Hughes
“What a wonderful dive into the sacred, special world of plants. I now have a deeper appreciation and connection with plants I once called ‘weeds’—they hold immense purpose and healing properties. Thanks to this course, I’ve learned to recognize, respect, and listen to the plants all around me.”