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


Posted by Roisin on Apr 27, 2026, 10:36 PM
How to Make Herbal Medicine in Rimworld (Quick & Easy Guide)
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

  1. Go to Zones
  2. Select Growing Zone
  3. Place the zone on fertile soil (best yield)
Growing Zone

✅ Step 3: Select Healroot

Click the growing zone and set the crop to:

👉 Healroot

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.

R
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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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