What medicinal herbs do you recommend beginners start with?

Okay, I know, what a loaded question!

Certain types of herbs grow in only certain kinds of areas so I understand there may not be many truly universal herbs that everyone can get ahold of but there must be some common medicinal herbs out there that are beginner friendly.

I suppose a definition might be beneficial. By beginner, I mean someone who is new to the world of taking advantage of the benefits of medicinal herbs. What are your most commonly utilized herbs? How do you use them?

I'm really interested in learning more and trying but I feel like I'm lacking confidence to proceed.

Thanks!

Plantain! (Plantago spp.)

It is found in myriad places and has a great many uses.

My first herbal medicine I consciously adopted was using chewed up plantain leaf to cure bee stings.
I used to swell up a lot from just a single honeybee sting, until I learned the power of the plantain poultice.
If I get it applied right away, there is basically no swelling or itching.

This same chewed poultice approach is great for helping any kinds of surface wounds, I've found.  
I have used it to help pull out deep splinters/slivers/thorns and ingrown hair situations.
I've used Honey infused with the plantain leaves as an excellent remedy for sore throats and bronchial colds.  
I also frequently chew on the leaves and keep them in my mouth like chaw, though I was never a tabaccy chewer.
The seeds are good food at various stages - and I think bulk fiber supplements are often made with seeds from the genus.

I find if I want to use Plantain poultice as an herbal bandage it works better by including some common Mallow leaves with the Plantain and chew it up together.  If I get the right mix, it will dry and stay glued on like a patch over a cut or wound.
Plantain has many other uses, but those are the main ways I enjoy this herb.
As always, be sure to properly identify plants... and the above is not medical advice.

Hmmm.... Let me think....

PLANTAIN!

Green Deanne's article on plantain.

I think that sumac bark is a good one to collect for any sort of intestinal bothers, stomach bugs, etc.  The pieces of bark, if peeled right, can make a good pasta substitute or dried as chips.

Nettle is a very good beginner herb because of its nourishing and health supporting properties more so than any special particular use. It is a good blood purifier as well.

Boneset is good to have around in case of flus, colds, Covid, etc. My father thinks it helped him get over the latter, at least.

Ground ivy is supposed to chelate and prevent lead poisoning. Very useful!!

What else… Burdock seeds are easy to collect (hard not to collect!)

I’d recommend keeping some mugwort around for smaller cuts—dried leaves can be rubbed into a fluff that is excellent for staunching wounds, and have some effect on the nervous system. They are also a digestive bitter, and extensive use of them as a seasoning and spring vegetable are found throughout Eurasia. In one book mugwort is said to have been called the “mother of herbs”.

Yarrow is of course the most famous and very helpful for staunching wounds. I recommend keeping some around always (them or mugwort).

That is just a few of them…I might be missing some more of them.  All of these are relatively safe and edible, except maybe boneset, which might be toxic in large quantities (some say). But the old folks always stored up lots of boneset in case of colds, and it’s been used that way for many generations, so has stood the test of time.  I also wouldn’t overdo mugwort or yarrow because of the thujone (though you’d have to eat quite a lot for it to amount to anything), and mugwort causes vivid dreams and dream recollection if taken near bedtime. I don’t mind that, though it’s not my preferred dream herb, and doesn’t cause much in the way of sleep disturbance.

Oh! Liver & blood purifiers! A lovely category of herbs everyone would benefit from knowing a bit about.

I think cleavers are good for the liver and the lymphatic system and I like to keep some for tea. They are also 100% edible.

Red clover is another plant considered a blood purifier. They are full of mineral nutrients and contain an estrogen-like  component that supposedly helps with breast cancer.

Burdock seeds I mentioned before—they can bring up toxins from within the body and begin the process of expelling them. The first time I tried them it caused my skin to break out, but after that it settled down. I saw this as a good sign. They are apparently a winter food for different birds, too. Burdock is also considered a diuretic (though mild in my experience) so help by that route too. I say burdock seeds because the roots can be a pain to dig (though the small ones make excellent additions to meals) and the leaves are extremely, extremely bitter. Though the flower stalks are good to eat too after they’re peeled.

There are many more different kinds of blood purifying herbs, some more toxic, many edible, and some further still, both—I’m focusing on some of the safer edible ones. Nettle also goes in this category as they help the body expel waste in multiple ways.

Catnip is easy to grow…supposedly good for colds and sleep. I gave someone catnip recently for a cold and they fell asleep very quickly and stayed asleep for many hours. (Clearly they needed it.) Hopefully it helps with the cold too!