Herbalism Overview: Perks, Tools, & Equipment

As one of the three gathering professions in World of Warcraft, Herbalism, or Herb Gathering, revolves around picking herbs for use in Alchemy and Inscription.

What You Get From Herbalism

The primary perk of Herbalism is the Lifeblood ability, which doubles as both a Haste cooldown and a modest heal. While most builds will benefit more from the primary stat boosts offered by crafting professions, this cooldown can be useful for burst damage or healing.

Herbalism allows players to see the locations of herb nodes marked on the mini map by using their Find Herbs tracking ability. Only characters with Herbalism will be able to interact with these nodes to loot them. Doing so grants a variety of herbs that are used as materials for crafting, and sometimes other rare items. Many quest objects can also be located on the map with Find Herbs.

Herbs

The majority of the items you can gather with Herbalism are herbs that are used for Alchemy and Inscription. Some herbs grow only near rivers or lakes, others only on hilltops, and some can only be gathered rarely from other herbs’ nodes.

At launch, all herbs in the game have skill level requirements, and you must have the appropriate skill before you will be able to loot any herb node. Later in the expansion (Patch 5.3), herbs in Pandaria zones will become possible to pick from skill level 1, but you will loot partial herbs instead of whole ones if you are below its skill level. These partial herbs can be combined into a whole herb at a ratio of 1:10.

See our Herbs Guide for information regarding herb node locations and skill requirements.

These are the new herbs for Mists of Pandaria:

• Golden Lotus
• Fool’s Cap
• Snow Lily
• Silkweed
• Rain Poppy
• Green Tea Leaf
• Desecrated Herb

Other Materials

In addition to herbs, there are a few miscellaneous items that can be gathered from herb nodes, usually as a rare or secondary bonus drop:

• Lifegiving Seed: A fun item that can be collected from Cataclysm herb nodes which will transform your character into an herb node and give you the name “Peacebloom.”
• Fel Blossom: Rarely gathered from Felweed nodes. Provides a 15-second absorption shield when used.
• Nightmare Seed: Rarely gathered from Nightmare Vine nodes. Provides a 20-second health increase when used.
• Bloodthistle: Found as its own node in Eversong Woods. Provides a +10 boost to Spell Power for 10 minutes, after which you will receive a 15-minute Bloodthistle Withdrawal debuff that reduces your Intellect by 5.
• Flame Cap: Found as its own node in Zangarmarsh. Provides increased Fire damage and a chance to deal Fire damage for 1 minute when used.
• Mote of Mana: Rarely gathered from Netherbloom nodes. Can be combined into Primal Mana, which is used in many Outland crafting recipes.
• Mote of Life: Rarely gathered from several Outland herb nodes. Can be combined into Primal Life, which is used in many Outland crafting recipes.
• Crystallized Life: Rarely gathered from several Northrend herb nodes. Can be used in some Northrend crafting recipes or combined into Eternal Life, which is used in even more Northrend recipes.
• Volatile Life: Rarely gathered from Cataclysm herb nodes. Can be used in many Cataclysm crafting recipes.
• Life Spirit: Rarely gathered from Pandaria herb nodes. Restores some health over 6 seconds when used, but shares a cooldown with potions.
• Water Spirit: Rarely gathered from Pandaria herb nodes. Restores some mana over 6 seconds when used, but shares a cooldown with potions.

Herbalism Tools

Tools are not required to gather herbs, but there are some that can boost your skill or provide other benefits.

You can carry either Herbalist’s Spade or Gnomish Army Knife in your bags for a +10 skill increase. These two bonuses do not stack, so there is no need to carry both. Herbalist’s Spade can be purchased from many Trade Goods vendors. Gnomish Army Knife can be crafted with Engineering and requires at least 350 Engineering skill to use its ability, but its gathering bonuses will work even for non-engineers.

Equipment

There are also a few pieces of equipment that can be worn to boost your herb gathering capabilities:

• Mist-Piercing Goggles: These allow you to see additional herb nodes in Pandaria as long as they are in your bags. They do not need to be equipped or soulbound, and you do not need any Engineering skill to use them. They can be crafted with Engineering after obtaining Schematic: Mist-Piercing Goggles.
• Herbalist’s Gloves: Give another +5 Herbalism skill, which can stack with either of the above items. These gloves are leather, so they can’t be used by classes that can only wear cloth. They can be crafted with Leatherworking. The pattern is sold by Harlown Darkweave near the Shrine of Aessina in Ashenvale. He will only sell it to Alliance characters.
• Forager’s Gloves: Reduce the time it takes to gather from each herb node. They are dropped by Korda Torros in Kun-Lai Summit.
• Electrostatic Condenser: Gives you a chance to collect Volatile Air while gathering in Cataclysm zones. Requires Engineering.

Glove Enchants

There are three glove enchants that grant increased Herbalism skill, and which can stack with the above items:

• Enchant Gloves – Herbalism: Formula drops from Ancients in Ashenvale or Stonetalon Mountains.
• Enchant Gloves – Advanced Herbalism: Formula drops from the large Swampwalker elementals in Swamp of Sorrows.
• Enchant Gloves – Gatherer: Formula taught by Enchanting Trainers.

Herb Bags

Herb Bags can also be useful for Herbalism. These bags can only hold herbs and Herbalism supplies, but they are bigger than other bags of similar levels.

• Herb Pouch: Sold by Herbalism Supplies vendors.
• “Carriage – Going Green” Herb Tote Bag: Sold by Dawn Radue, the Bag Merchant in Stormwind City.
• Cenarion Herb Bag: Made with Tailoring. Pattern available from Mishta at Cenarion Hold in Silithus upon reaching Friendly with Cenarion Circle.
• Satchel of Cenarius: Made with Tailoring. Pattern available from Mishta at Cenarion Hold in Silithus upon reaching Revered with Cenarion Circle.
• Mycah’s Botanical Bag: Made with Tailoring. Pattern available from Mycah at Sporeggar in Zangarmarsh upon reaching Revered with Sporeggar.
• Emerald Bag: Made with Tailoring. Pattern available from Tanaika at Kamagua in Howling Fjord or Sairuk at Moa’ki Harbor in Dragonblight upon reaching Revered with The Kalu’ak.
• Hyjal Expedition Bag: Made with Tailoring. Pattern taught by Tailoring Trainers.

Racial Bonuses

The Tauren racial Cultivation is very helpful for Herbalism, offering +15 skill and faster gathering.