The 2009 ASHS Annual Conference

Herb production in America has passed through a number of trials since the continent was discovered by Europeans, but an exploration of history may offer a guide to American interest in medicinal and aromatic plants.  For some time, a lack of funding and political interests delayed advances in crop improvement and cultivation and limited the study and application of many of these plant materials.  A new perspective, beginning in the 1960s, brought renewed interest in the uses of these plants and initiated investigations on the collection and cultivation and on the culinary and pharmaceutical uses.  As production increased, the demand for quality plant materials increased, leading to the initiation of Good Agricultural Practices and Good Manufacturing Practices.  Chinese medicinal plants and those used in Ayurvedic medicine have recently become of interest.  Improvements in efficacy and standardization may be key words for the future.