Plant Power

A full-color reference guide to beneficial plants and mushrooms

“An excellent resource about the natural properties of plants.”—Kirkus Reviews

• Explores the ethnobotany and practical applications of 30 plants, fruits, nuts, bulbs, roots, flowers, and mushrooms that support the immune system, digestion, endurance, vitality, and the brain

• Examines ritual and mind-expanding plants such as fly agaric, blue lotus, cannabis, and peyote cactus

• Offers 60 delicious vegetarian recipes (two for each plant or mushroom) by Michelin star chef Joris Bijdendijk

WHILE KNOWING that spending time in nature and eating healthy is important, we often dismiss the fact that plants have been used as healing medicine for thousands of years.

In this guide, Wouter Bijdendijk highlights thirty mushrooms, herbs, flowers, fruits, nuts, bulbs, and roots that support the immune system, digestion, endurance, vitality, and the brain—from ginseng and turmeric to chaga and reishi to olive and chamomile. He also explores several plants that have played a significant role in rituals and ceremonies, such as fly agaric, blue lotus, cannabis, and peyote cactus, enabling our ancestors to connect with deeper layers of themselves, the spiritual realms, and the Divine. Michelin star chef Joris Bijdendijk provides two delicious vegetarian recipes for each major plant, offering culinary delights to help you easily incorporate the medicinal powers of these plants in your life.

A journey through the deep and ancient roots of plant knowledge, from folk uses to mystical properties to the vital role of plants in human evolution, this book shows you how to harness the natural power of plants to revitalize your body, integrate your spirit, and empower your life.

“A beautifully crafted exploration of medicinal plants and fungi, blending rigorous research with deep reverence for nature’s healing potential. Wouter’s holistic approach is evident on every page, from the meticulously detailed monographs to the engaging historical and scientific insights. The beautiful illustrations bring these botanical allies to life, while the artful recipes by chef Joris transform the herbs and mushrooms into mouthwatering, therapeutic creations. This book doesn’t just inform—it inspires, offering a bridge between the science of phytochemicals and the sensory delight of herbal preparations. A must-have for herbalists, health food enthusiasts, and anyone passionate about the intersection of tradition and modern plant wisdom.” LISA GANORA, founder of the Colorado School of Clinical Herbalism and author of Herbal Constituents
“This unique combination of evidence-based resource for plant and herbal medicines, how-to guide, and cookbook will ill a gap in most personal and library collections. An excellent resource about the natural properties of plants.” KIRKUS REVIEWS
“Plants are the quiet masters behind the scene, providing us with the air we breathe, food, healing, and more. We must listen and look deeply into their nature to understand them. Wouter Bijdendijk does this and shares his insights in this wonderful book.” WOLF-DIETER STORL, Ph.D., cultural anthropologist, ethnobotanist, and author of The Heart and Its He
“It’s with great pleasure that I celebrate this book on plants and their ancestral link with humans. . . . a precious work of safeguarding living beings. Knowledge and responsible use of this marvelous natural and cultural heritage, and acting in favor of the planet, means getting back in touch with a more fulilling way of life: tasty, pleasant, and even fun! By choosing what we eat, we choose the world in which we wish to live.” MAURO COLAGRECO, chef at the three-Michelin stars restaurant Mirazur and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador
“This book brings to the table what matters, that our well-being is built on an understanding of what we consume and how we consume it. And in order to reestablish the much sought-after balance that we sometimes lose through disconnection, it is necessary to return to the natural world that we should never have left aside.” VIRGILIO MARTINEZ, Michelin star chef and owner of Central Restaurante (The World’s No. 1 Rest
“Dutch anthropologist Wouter Bijdendijk marries healing knowledge with culinary art, magic with science, and active molecules with plant spirit and soul. Unio mystica of plant power. This book is filled with knowledge and broadens horizons.” CLAUDIA MÜLLER-EBELING, Ph.D., anthropologist and coauthor of Witchcraft Medicine, The Encyclop
“I have been a fan of Joris’s work, as he always is at the edge and pushing himself and his teams in that new direction, exploring the vast possibilities of food. This book is a testimony to his work in pushing vegetables to the forefront, not from a sustainability point of view but for their medical virtues. Plant Power is promising not only to deliver delicious recipes but like Hippocrates does, Joris and his brother, Wouter, explain how to let food be thy medicine.” RICHARD EKKEBUS, three-Michelin-star chef and director of culinary operations and food and beverage
“A beautiful book packed with tasty knowledge and respect for plants. ‘Knowledge Increases Pleasure’ could be its motto.” JEREMY NARBY, anthropologist and author of The Cosmic Serpent and The Psychotropic Mind
“Wouter and Joris Bijdendijk have put together an important and timely volume filled with easy-to-follow recipes for a variety of ailments and nutritious living. As faith in both the food and pharmaceutical industries deteriorates, books like this one will prove paramount in providing healthy alternatives to the chemical-ridden products that often pass for sustenance in the 21st century.” THOMAS HATSIS, historian and author of The Witches’ Ointment and Psychedelic Mystery Tradition
“An elegant intermingling of the culinary and the curative, Plant Power entices readers to nourish both body and spirit through the medicinal magic of the natural world.” COBY MICHAEL, author of The Poison Path Herbal and The Poison Path Grimoire
“A visually stunning exploration that bridges rigorous science with cultural heritage and ancient wisdom. By thoughtfully integrating contemporary research with time-honored knowledge, this book invites critical engagement, compassionate stewardship, and a holistic relationship with our natural world. Plant Power offers a path back to the nourishing, transformative magic of our interconnected existence with the plant kingdom.” J. DEREK LOMAS, Ph.D., assistant professor of Human-Centered Design at TU Delft University

Wouter Bijdendijk is an anthropologist specializing in ethnobotany and pharmacognosy with a degree from Amsterdam University. In more than 20 years of touring the world as renowned mentalist and magician Ramana, Wouter has studied herbal medicine in different traditions from around the globe. An author, lecturer, and TEDx speaker, he lives in the Netherlands.

Chef Joris Bijdendijk earned three Michelin stars within just eight years of beginning his career. As executive chef at RIJKS®, the restaurant of the Rijksmuseum, and Wils as well as Wils Bakery Café in Amsterdam, Joris is one of the leading culinary figures in the Netherlands. Beyond the kitchen, he is a columnist for Dutch newspaper Het Parool, founder of the Low Food Foundation, and author of several cookbooks.

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