Herbalism
Gathering and using herbs
Unlike skinning and mining, no special tools are required to gather herbs. While [Find Herbs] is active, herbs will appear on your Mini-Map. Once you approach one and harvest it, you will receive 1-3 herbs which can be used for other professions or sold.
As herbalism is a gathering profession like Skinning and Mining, it can potentially be useful to any class who intends to use it as a source of income by selling the herbs they gather. However, it is of particular interest to any alchemist, since herbalism gives you a good supply of ingredients for your potions.
Tauren gain a 15-point bonus to their herbalism skill from the "Cultivation" Racial trait. However, this does not allow a Tauren to harvest herbs without training the herbalism skill. A Tauren herbalist's maximum skill is 315 (325 with [Herbalist's Gloves] and Enchant Gloves - Advanced Herbalism).
Herb bags
An Herb Bag is a special type of bag that goes into one of your four bag slots. It can only carry herbs (as well as a handful of other related items), but is usually much larger than the average bag that you would normally have at that level. A 12-slot herb bag can be purchased from any herbalism supplies vendor, while the larger varieties (20- and 24-slot) must be made by a tailor.
Herbalism color codes
Mousing over and inspecting the tooltip for any herb in the game world will allow you to determine whether or not you can harvest it. The "Requires Herbalism" text will be color coded as follows:
- Red: Can't be harvested.
- Orange: 100% chance of increasing Herbalism skill level, often fails.
- Yellow: 75% chance of increasing Herbalism skill level, never fails.
- Green: <50% chance of increasing Herbalism skill level, never fails.
- Gray: Never increases Herbalism skill level, never fails.
Common uses for herbs
While the majority of the herbs you will find are used by alchemists to create various potions, some will have other uses as well.
- Rogues will find [Fadeleaf] useful in making [Blinding Powder] using their Poisons skill, and [Swiftthistle] useful in making [Thistle Tea]. This makes herbalism a convenient profession for a rogue, but by no means a required one.
- Some herbs are used for class quests, such as [Liferoot] and [Wildvine] for Warriors, and [Earthroot] for Druids.
- Certain Tailoring and Leatherworking patterns require relatively small amounts of herbs.
Harvestable herbs by skill level
Herb | Orange at: | Yellow at: | Green at: | Grey at: | Found in |
[Peacebloom] | 1 | 25 | 50 | 100 | All low level zones |
[Silverleaf] | 1 | 25 | 50 | 100 | All low level zones |
[Earthroot] | 15 | 40 | 70 | 115 | All low level zones |
[Mageroyal] | 50 | 75 | 100 | 150 | All low level zones |
Briarthorn | 70 | 95 | 120 | 170 | All low level zones, especially Silverpine Forest |
[Swiftthistle] | All low level zones, found on [Briarthorn] and [Mageroyal] | ||||
[Stranglekelp] | 85 | 115 | 135 | 185 | In the ocean, especially near Menethil Harbour and Zoram Strand |
[Bruiseweed] | 100 | 130 | 150 | 200 | Near Houses in low-mid level zones |
[Wild Steelbloom] | 115 | 145 | 165 | 215 | All low-mid level zones |
[Grave Moss] | 120 | 150 | 170 | 220 | Very Rare, found only in Graveyards |
[Kingsblood] | 125 | 155 | 175 | 225 | Mid level zones |
[Liferoot] | 150 | 180 | 200 | 250 | Stranglethorn Vale, Wetlands and Swamp of Sorrows, near pools of water |
[Fadeleaf] | 160 | 190 | 210 | 260 | Mid level zones |
[Goldthorn] | 170 | 205 | 220 | 270 | Mid level zones especially Stranglethorn Vale and Arathi Highlands |
[Khadgar's Whisker] | 185 | 210 | 235 | 285 | Mid level zones especially Stranglethorn Vale and Arathi Highlands and Swamp of Sorrows |
[Wintersbite] | 195 | 225 | 245 | 295 | Found only in Alterac Mountain and Alterac Valley |
[Firebloom] | 205 | 235 | 255 | -- | Badlands, Tanaris,Searing Gorge, and Blasted Lands |
[Purple Lotus] | 210 | 240 | 260 | -- | Mid-High level zones especially Tanaris and Stranglethorn Vale, found near ruins |
[Wildvine] | -- | Found only on [Purple Lotus] | |||
[Arthas' Tears] | 220 | 250 | < 279 | -- | Western Plaguelands, Eastern Plaguelands, Razorfen Downs and Felwood |
[Sungrass] | 230 | < 252 | 280 | High level zones especially The Hinterlands and Feralas | |
[Blindweed] | 235 | 260 | 285 | Mostly found in Swamp of Sorrows | |
[Ghost Mushroom] | 245 | The Hinterlands (in Skulk Rock), Desolace, Maraudon, Razorfen Downs and Dire Maul | |||
[Gromsblood] | 250 | < 276 | < 295 | Felwood, Blasted Lands, Desolace and Dire Maul East | |
[Golden Sansam] | 260 | 280 | Mostly in Un'Goro Crater | ||
[Dreamfoil] | 270 | Un'Goro Crater, Felwood, Azshara, Eastern Plaguelands and Western Plaguelands | |||
[Mountain Silversage] | 280 | Mostly in Un'Goro Crater | |||
Plaguebloom | 285 | Mostly in Eastern Plaguelands and Felwood | |||
[Icecap] | 290 | Winterspring | |||
[Bloodvine] | Found on Herbs in Zul'Gurub | ||||
[Black Lotus] | 300 | Found in Winterspring, Eastern Plaguelands, Burning Steppes and Silithus |
Notes
- [Swiftthistle] is occasionally found in [Briarthorn] and [Mageroyal] patches. There are no plants that contain [Swiftthistle] only.
- [Wildvine], in the same manner as [Swiftthistle], is found in [Purple Lotus] patches.
- [Bloodvine] is an Template:Uncommon herb can be found in [Golden Sansam] or [Dreamfoil] patches in Zul'Gurub, and only when a [Blood Scythe] is in your inventory.
- [Black Lotus] (also Template:Uncommon) is extremely rare and hard to find. It requires 300 herbalism skill and is still hard to pick (will get a failed attempt now and then), the Herbalism enchant will reduce failure rates on this and other herbs.
- Tauren can harvest [Earthroot] immediately after training Herbalism, since their skill will start at 16.
- [Herbalist's Gloves] will give you a +5 bonus to herbalism. When combined with a +5 herbalism enchant, you can get a max skill of 310 (325 for Tauren)