How to Make Herbal Medicine in Rimworld (Quick & Easy Guide)

If your colonists keep getting injured or sick, herbal medicine is one of the best early-game resources in Rimworld. It’s cheap, renewable, and can keep your colony alive until you can produce or buy industrial medicine.
Here’s exactly how to make herbal medicine in Rimworld.
🌿 What Is Herbal Medicine in Rimworld?
Herbal medicine (also called herbal meds) is a basic healing item used for:
- Treating wounds
- Performing surgeries (low success chance)
- Treating infections and illnesses
- Stabilising injured pawns
👉 It’s weaker than industrial medicine but far better than having no medicine at all.
🌱 How to Make Herbal Medicine in Rimworld
To make herbal medicine, you don’t craft it at a bench. Instead, you grow and harvest it.
✅ Step 1: Research (If Needed)
In most cases, you can grow it immediately, but depending on scenario/mods, you may need to unlock growing options.
Usually, no research is required in vanilla.
✅ Step 2: Create a Growing Zone
- Go to Zones
- Select Growing Zone
- Place the zone on fertile soil (best yield)

✅ Step 3: Select Healroot
Click the growing zone and set the crop to:
👉 Healroot

Healroot is the plant that produces herbal medicine.
✅ Step 4: Assign a Grower
Make sure at least one pawn has:
- Growing enabled in the Work tab
The higher their growing skill, the faster and more efficiently they’ll harvest.
✅ Step 5: Harvest the Healroot
Once fully grown, colonists will harvest it automatically.
When harvested:
🌿 Healroot becomes herbal medicine
⚠️ Why You Can’t Plant Healroot Yet
If Healroot isn’t showing up in your growing list, it’s because your colony’s growers are too low level.
👉 To plant Healroot, your pawn needs:
- Growing skill level 8
So if you can’t plant it yet:
- Grow rice, corn, or potatoes first
- Level up your grower
- Then unlock Healroot planting
🌡️ Best Conditions for Growing Healroot
Healroot grows best when:
- Temperature is above freezing
- Soil fertility is good
- Growing season is active
💡 Tip: Growing it indoors with sun lamps is possible, but usually not worth it early game.
🏥 Best Way to Store Herbal Medicine
Herbal medicine deteriorates outside, so store it properly:
- Keep it indoors
- Use shelves or stockpiles
- Avoid leaving it in the rain or heat
🧠 Pro Tips for Getting More Herbal Medicine
- Plant a dedicated healroot field early
- Use fertile soil for faster growth
- Keep extra medicine for raids and infections
- Buy industrial medicine for surgery, but use herbal for minor injuries
🎯 Final Thoughts
If you’re wondering how to make herbal medicine in Rimworld, the answer is simple:
👉 Grow Healroot and harvest it.
It’s one of the most important early-game resources, and having a steady supply can make the difference between a thriving colony and a slow death spiral.
Roisin
Roisin is a lead editor and gaming enthusiast, bringing you the latest news and deep dives into the gaming world.
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