
Tshuaj Ntsuab (Plant Medicine)
A Compendium of Hmong Medicinal Plants
$60.05
- Paperback
192 pages
- Release Date
13 April 2026
Summary
Blending traditional knowledge and Western science, this collection of family stories, healing recipes, and profiles of plants common in Minnesota celebrates age-old wisdom and cutting-edge research.
During early years in Laos, May Lee trained as a niam tshuaj, a plant-based healer and keeper of herbal plants, a role customarily handed down from mother to eldest daughter. When she fled to Thailand and then the United States in 1980, May brought preserved cuttings, which she eventually…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781681343044 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 1681343045 |
| Author: | Zongxee Lee, Natalie Hoidal, Alex Crum, Lindsey Miller |
| Publisher: | Minnesota Historical Society Press |
| Imprint: | Minnesota Historical Society Press |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 192 |
| Release Date: | 13 April 2026 |
| Weight: | 612g |
| Dimensions: | 15mm x 201mm x 249mm |

Critics Review
“Tshuaj Ntsuab is a valuable contribution to Hmong Americans’ understanding of our culture and traditions. Through May’s story, we get an important perspective into the fabric of feminism that has networked Hmong women’s knowledge through time and place. I will keep this book on my shelves for my personal reference and for future generations.”–Kao Kalia Yang, author of The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir, The Song Poet: A Memoir of My Father, and Where Rivers Part: A Story of My Mother’s Life
“Combining traditional Hmong healing methods with botanical science, Tshuaj Ntsuab introduces gardeners, herbalists, and anyone who cares about health to an array of healing plants–most unknown to North American gardeners–as well as techniques for growing and using them. This comprehensive work also tells an important story about the value of domestic knowledge.”–Mary Schier, author of The Northern Gardener: From Apples to Zinnias
Zongxee Lee
Zongxee Lee is a Hmong American herbalist and gardener and a registered nurse. She is the author of 30 Days of Purification: Common Hmong Postpartum Herbs. She learned to care for and use traditional herbs from her mother and grandmother, and she has dedicated her life to documenting and preserving Hmong medicinal herbs. She is currently building a Hmong botanical conservatory. She lives in Roberts, Wisconsin.
Natalie Hoidal is an Extension educator at the University of Minnesota, working with vegetable crops and local foods. She has a master’s degree in agronomy from the University of Copenhagen and a bachelor’s degree in biology and environmental studies from the University of Minnesota Morris. In her Extension role she supports vegetable farmers to be more sustainable and profitable, reaching growers through newsletters, podcasts, videos, web pages, presentations, and field days. She lives in Northfield, Minnesota.
Alex Crum studies the evolution of plant pigments and what makes plants medicinal. She earned her PhD in the Yang Lab of Plant Evolution at the University of Minnesota; DNA barcoding used to identify plants in this book comprised a chapter of her doctoral dissertation. She also holds a master’s degree in biology from Grand Valley State University and a bachelor’s degree in biology and biochemistry from the College of St. Scholastica. She lives in Duluth, Minnesota, and is an assistant professor of biology at the University of Wisconsin-Superior.
Lindsey Miller supports the communications program for the University of Minnesota Extension fruit and vegetable and horticulture teams. She holds a bachelor of science degree in horticulture and is currently pursuing a degree in environmental science communication. Miller’s work—shaped by roles in research, project management, and communications—reflects her commitment to celebrating and advocating for the plant world. Her educational background and nontraditional career path allow her to blend scientific insight with a creative passion for plant photography. She lives in Robbinsdale, Minnesota.
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