Standing in front of a wall of herb products for the first time is quietly overwhelming. The bottles and bags look similar. The labels use terminology that is not immediately obvious. And the price variation between products describing ostensibly the same thing is sometimes dramatic.
Here is what a herb label actually tells you, and what to look for when assessing quality.
The Latin Name
The most important single item on any label. Common names can refer to multiple different species with different properties. Echinacea purpurea and Echinacea angustifolia are both sold as echinacea, but they have somewhat different properties and different parts used. Elderberry is almost always Sambucus nigra, but the red elder (Sambucus racemosa) is a different and potentially problematic plant. A label without a Latin name is telling you something important about its standards.
The Part Used
Different parts of the same plant have different properties. Echinacea root is different from echinacea aerial parts. Dandelion leaf has different applications from dandelion root. A good label specifies both the plant and which part of the plant is in the product.
For Tinctures: Ratio and Menstruum
A tincture label should include the ratio (1:5, 1:2, etc.), the menstruum type and strength (alcohol percentage, or glycerine), and whether dry or fresh plant material was used. A 1:2 fresh plant tincture is considerably more concentrated than a 1:5 dried plant tincture. Without this information, you cannot assess what you are getting.
Sourcing and Date
Where did the plant material come from, and when? Quality suppliers are transparent about this. An organic or sustainably wildcrafted note matters for both quality and ethics. A harvest or best-before date tells you whether you are getting fresh material or something sitting in a warehouse. The Herbalist Codex app includes plant identification guidance that lets you cross-reference what a supplier is selling against what the actual plant should look, smell, and taste like. That is the kind of knowledge that turns a passive herb buyer into someone who actually understands what they are purchasing.