This attractive English-language edition presents the botanical and medicinal knowledge contained in the plant section of Hildegard von Bingen's Physica. Written in the 12th century, the work records Hildegard's observations and beliefs concerning some 230 plants and grains and their possible applications in health and healing. The selection includes familiar herbs such as fennel, sage, oregano, yarrow, stinging nettle, hyssop and chamomile, alongside many less familiar medieval medicinal plants. The entries describe the properties attributed to the plants and their traditional preparation or use, including infusions, powders, ointments, drinks and other remedies. They provide a fascinating insight into medieval materia medica and the relationship between plants, food and healing. The book is therefore particularly appealing to readers interested in the history of herbal medicine, medicinal plants, medieval medical practice and the development of botanical knowledge. Hildegard's work is presented here not as a modern medical handbook, but as an important historical document. Its value lies in showing how a remarkable medieval thinker understood the natural world and the therapeutic qualities attributed to plants in her time. The English translation by Bruce W. Hozeski makes this material readily accessible to contemporary readers. The volume also includes an index, making it practical for locating individual plants and subjects. Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) was a German Benedictine abbess, mystic, visionary, writer and scholar whose interests extended to theology, music, natural history and medicine. Her Physica is one of her best-known works on the natural world and records medieval knowledge concerning plants, animals, minerals and their attributed properties.