Herbalism remains one of the most lucrative professions in World of Warcraft Wrath of the Lich King Classic. How can players reach the max rank in the fastest way possible? 

Whether you are a casual player or a hardcore World of Warcraft, you must engage in Herbalism one way or another. It is one of the primary professions that gamers eventually overlook when they reach higher levels. However, it remains essential at any game stage, primarily if you are engaged in other trades like Alchemy and Inscription, to create WotLK items. If you plan to get into this profession, this guide will help you reach the max level in no time.  

Herbalism Overview 

Herbalism is one of the primary professions focusing mainly on gathering materials for crafting trade skills. Players farm shrubs, herbs, and other greeneries for this particular field, which are further processed into finer materials for other professions. Players who plan on getting into Inscription or Alchemy usually take up this one since it allows them to gather the materials they need instead of buying them from the market. Regardless of the purpose, Herbalism is the most lucrative profession among all the trade skills because you can earn tons of WotLk Classic Gold. 

The current max level for Herbalism in Wrath of the Lich King is 450; reaching it will take some time. However, players must grind this profession to maximize it to access more valuable herbs. There are various uses for this trade skill, which include practical skills. Lifeblood is the most notable, allowing gamers to regenerate HP over five seconds. This ability scales even further depending on your Herbalism rank, which is helpful in many cases.  

Best Crafting Professions to Pair with Herbalism 

It is no secret that Alchemy and Inscription are the best secondary professions to take deep into Herbalism. Since you can only choose one crafting field at a time, pushing through with those that benefit significantly from all the herbs you would be more profitable. Both professions are lucrative in their way and are in high demand at the end-game phase. Here is why you should consider Alchemy or Inscription when leveling up Herbalism:  

•  Alchemy – creates useful consumable potions that provide various buffs, which are extremely important and valuable in raids. 
• Inscription – creates various glyphs that can be inscribed on gear to provide additional buffs and trinkets.  

Herbalism Trainers 

Before any player can start their journey to becoming a pro Herbalist, they will have first to learn the ability to gather herbs. There are tons of trainers for this profession that can be found in various places in Azeroth. Some are even Neutral to both factions and will accept anyone willing to learn the art of collecting flora ingredients. Here are the Herbalism Trainers in Wrath of the Lich King Classic: 

Alliance 

• Reyna Stonebranch (Ironforge) 
• Tannysa (Stormwind City) 
• Herbalist Pomeroy (Elwyn Forest) 
• Kali Healtouch (Loch Modan) 
• Telurinon Moonshadow (Wetlands) 
• Alma Jainrose (Redridge Mountains) 
• Firodren Mooncaller (Darnassus) 
• Malorne Bladeleaf (Teldrassil) 
• Cylania Rootstalker (Ashenvale) 
• Brant Jasperbloom (Dustwallow Marsh) 
• Cemmorhan (The Exodar) 

Horde 

• Martha Alliestar (Undercity) 
• Faruza (Tirisfal Glades) 
• Angrun (Stranglethorn Vale) 
• Aranae Venomblood (Hillsbrad Foothills) 
• Botanist Nathera (Silvermoon City) 
• Jandi (Ogrimmar) 
• Komin Winterhoof (Thunder Bluff) 
• Mishiki (Durotar) 
• Ruak Stronghorn (Hellfire Peninsula) 
• Marjory Kains (Howling Fjord) 
• Tansy Wildmane (Borean Tundra) 

Neutral 

• Dorothy Egan (Dalaran) 

Knowing where the Herbalism Traiders is crucial because you need them to learn higher ranks of this profession. Each advancement allows players to gather higher-quality floras necessary in high-quality craftables. Here are the ranks in Herbalism: 

• Apprentice (Rank 0) 
• Journeyman (Rank 50) 
• Expert (Rank 125) 
• Artisan (Rank 200) 
• Master (Rank 275) 
• Grand Master (Rank 350) 

Best Race and Class for WotLK Classic Herbalism 

While any race can participate in Herbalism, the Taurens are a cut above the rest because they are the only ones with an Herbalism-related passive. Their Cultivation skill gives them a +15 in this profession, which gives players a massive boost to their progression. If you want to optimize your capabilities in this field further, double it up by going with the Druid class. While they do not have an innate Herbalism ability, their Travel Form and Flight Form allow them to gather herbs without dismounting or transforming into their usual appearance. This is quite convenient because it saves Druids extra few seconds to get from one node to another.  

Leveling Up Herbalism in WotLK Classic 

Ranking up your Herbalism profession is straightforward because you only need to harvest herbs. The experience you gain depends on what type of plant you are gathering, so a higher-quality flora will provide more EXP. Players need to note that they can’t collect every herb immediately because some have a Herbalism Skill requirement.  

The best way to rank up Herbalism is to focus on farming in a specific rotation before moving to another zone. It is advisable to stay within a particular location for an exact time until you reach a certain Herbalism Skill rank. Try to follow the proper rotations to optimize your exp grind.  

Short Version 

If you don’t want to read the areas where to farm the herbs and what your options are, here is a short list of what you need to grind to get from one level to the next: 

• Silverleaf (level 1 to 50) 
• Peacebloom (level 1 to 50) 
• Earthroot (level 1 to 50) 
• Mageroyal (level 50 to 70) 
• Briarthorn (level 70 to 100) 
• Bruiseweed (level 100 to 115) 
• Wild Steelbloom (levels 115 to 125) 
• Kingsblood (level 125 to 150) 
• Liferoot (level 150 to 160) 
• Fadeleaf (level 160 to 170) 
• Goldthorn (level 170 to 185) 
• Khadgar’s Whiskers (level 185 to 210) 
• Purple Lotus (level 210 to 230) 
• Sungrass (level 230 to 260) 
• Golden Sansam (level 260 to 270) 
• Dreamfoil (level 270 to 285) 
• Plaguebloom (level 285 to 300) 
• Felweed (level 300 to 315) 
• Dreaming Glory (level 315 to 350) 
• Goldclover (level 350 to 375) 
• Tiger Lily (level 375 to 400) 
• Adder’s Tongue (level 400 to 425) 
• Lichbloom (level 425 to 435) 
• Icethorn (level 435 to 450) 
• Frost Lotus (level 450) 

Comprehensive Version 

Level 1 to 70 

For this bracket, you will start at the beginner areas because they have the safest rotations and contain abundant essential herbs. There are multiple options for players, which depend on what race and faction they start in. Here are the herbs you should focus on gathering at this stage: 

• Peacebloom (Gather from level 1 to 50) 
• Silverleaf (Gather from level 1 to 50) 
• Earthroot (Gather from level 50 to 70) 

These are the essential herbs for the starting levels of Herbalism, and they can be found anywhere. However, they are found in great numbers in Dun Morogh, Durotar, Elwynn Forest, Mulgore, Teldrassil, and Tirisfal Glades.  

Level 50 

At level 50, visit a trainer so you can be promoted to Journeyman Herbalism.  

Level 70 to 135 

You can venture further by this stage because you will be looking for higher-level herbs. These plants can still be found in most zones, but you will need to focus on specific areas they are more abundant. Here are the herbs you need to see at each level: 

• Mageroyal (Gather from level 50 to 100) 
• Briarthorn (Gather from level 70 to 120) 
• Stranglekelp (Gather from level 85 to 135) 

These herbs can be found in many areas, but you should mainly farm them at The Barrens, Loch Modan, and Darkshore.  

Level 125 

At this point, you should revisit the Herbalism Trainers to get an Expert rank. This is a must because you can only gather some of the herbs along the line if you have them.  

Level 135 to 170 

Your options for this stage are many, so you don’t need to look for specific herbs painstakingly. What matters here is how well your rotation is to optimize your farming paths. Here are the plants you need to gather from 135 to 170: 

• Bruiseweed (Gather from level 100 to 150) 
• Wild Steelbloom (Gather from level 115 to 165) 
• Grave Moss (Gather from level 120 to 170) 
• Kingsblood (Gather from level 125 to 175) 
• Liferoot (Gather from level 150 to 200) 

The main zones you should stay in at these levels are Thousand Needles, Hillsbrad Foothills, and Stonetalon Mountains. Gamers should note that they can only gather Kingsblood with Expert Herbalism. 

Level 170 to 205 

Players should become more cautious at this stage because the areas are more dangerous. For 170 to 205, farming areas may be saturated because you will focus on two significant areas. Here are the herbs you need to gather at this bracket: 

• Kingsblood (Gather from level 125 to 175) 
• Liferoot (Gather from level 150 to 200) 
• Fadeleaf (Gather from level 160 to 210) 
• Goldthorn (Gather from level 170 to 220) 
• Khadgar’s Whisker (Gather from level 185 to 235) 

You will mainly want to farm these plants in Stranglethorn Vale and Arathi Highlands. 

Level 200 

At level 200, you must return to a Herbalism Trainer to get Artisan Rank. 

Level 205 to 230 

Only two plants provide a sufficient amount of EXP to keep progressing from 205 to 230. Make sure to prioritize them over other herbs you find along the way. Here are the floras you need to focus on to reach 230: 

• Firebloom (Gather from level 205 to 255) 
• Purple Lotus (Gather from level 210 to 255) 

Your farming routes will mainly be centered in either Tanaris or Searing Gorge. 

Level 230 to 270 

You get more choices on what herbs to farm starting at 230, which ensures that nodes are not highly contested. However, the zone where you will gather these plants will be a bit dangerous since both factions will come to this area. Here are the herbs you should focus on at this stage: 

• Sungrass (Gather from level 230 to 280) 
• Purple Lotus (Gather from level 210 to 255) 
• Blindweed (Gather from level 235 to 285) 
• Ghost Mushroom (Gather from level 245 to 295) 
• Gromsblood (Gather from level 250 to 300) 
• Golden Sansam (Gather from level 260 to 310) 

Your rotation will mainly be on the Hinterlands, which both factions will access. While you have many nodes to farm, being clustered in one zone means you are more likely to encounter hostile players.  

Level 270 to 300 

• Sungrass (Gather from level 230 to 280) 
• Gromsblood (Gather from level 250 to 300) 
• Golden Sansam (Gather from level 260 to 310) 
• Dreamfoil (Gather from level 270 to 320) 
• Mountain Silversage (Gather from level 280 to 330) 
• Plaguebloom (Gather from level 285 to 335) 

Your farming area is mainly around Felwood. 

Level 275 

Before you proceed, you should stop by the Herbalism Trainer again to obtain the Master’s rank for this profession.  

Level 300 to 350 

At this stage, players should be more careful and methodical with their rotations because only some areas are optimal immediately. There are multiple options to harvest, and they can be found in various zones. Here are the plants that you need to focus on at these levels: 

• Golden Sansam (Gather from level 260 to 310) 
• Dreamfoil (Gather from level 270 to 320) 
• Mountain Silverage (Gather from level 280 to 330) 
• Felweed (Gather from level 300 to 400) 
• Dreaming Glory (Gather from level 315 to 415) 
• Terocone (325-425) 

There are four zones wherein you can farm these herbs. However, it would help if you only went to them at specific Herbalism levels to optimize your rotations. Here are the recommended ranks for each area: 

• Hellfire Peninsula (level 300 to 315) 
• Blade’s Edge Mountains (levels 315 to 325) 
• Nagrand (levels 315 to 325) 
• Terokkar Forest (levels 325 to 350) 

Level 350 

At level 350, you should look for a specific NPC to teach your Grand Master rank for Herbalism.  

Reaching Max Rank from Level 350 onwards 

By this stage, your primary focus will be on the frozen lands of Northrend. This is the region where you will be spending most of your time until you reach the max level. To optimize your progression, you should focus on doing rotations in a specific zone instead before moving on to the next. It is up to your preference to determine which areas you will choose to farm. Here are the recommended zones for each step:  

Borean Tundra (level 350 to 410) 

• Goldclover (Gather from level 350 to 400) 
• Fire Leaf (Gather from level 360 to 410) 
• Tiger Lily (Gather from level 375 to 425) 

Howling Fjord (levels 350 to 425) 

• Goldclover (Gather from level 350 to 400) 
• Tiger Lily (Gather from level 375 to 425) 

Grizzly Hills (level 375 to 425) 

• Goldclover (Gather from level 350 to 400) 
• Tiger Lily (Gather from level 375 to 425) 

Zul’Drak (level 385 to 440) 

• Talandra’s Rose (Gather from level 385 to 435) 
• Frozen Herb (Gather from level 415 to 450) 

Dragonblight (level 400 to 450) 

• Godclover (Gather from level 350 to 400) 
• Frozen Herb (Gather from level 400 to 450) 

Sholazar Basin (level 400 to 450) 

• Goldclover (Gather from level 350 to 400) 
• Tiger Lily (Gather from level 375 to 425) 
• Adder’s Tongue (Gather from level 400 to 450) 

The Storm Peaks (level 425 to 450) 

• Lichbloom (Gather from level 425 to 450) 
• Icethorn (Gather from level 435 to 450) 

Icecrown (level 425 to 450) 

• Lichbloom (Gather from level 425 to 450) 
• Icethorn (Gather from level 435 to 450) 

Wintergrasp (level 425 to 450) 

• Lichbloom (Gather from level 425 to 450) 
• Icethorn (Gather from level 435 to 450) 
• Frost Lotus (Gather at level 450) 

One of your goals for reaching the level cap is to be able to gather Frost Lotus. This herb is used in high-level Alchemy products and can only be harvested at max rank. It is also rare, so they are incredibly profitable when obtained.  

Other Tips While Leveling Up Herbalism 

There are several other things to make your farming more efficient and less tedious. These include taking advantage of several features and tweaking your settings. Here are some tips to make your grinding much more bearable: 

• Use Find Herbs – Only one tracking skill can be active. If you are leveling up your Herbalism, trigger this because it marks any nearby nodes in your minimap. Using this spell will reduce the time needed to look for herbs to farm.  
• Click to Move – Activating the click-to-move feature might be more convenient because it will allow you to go from one node to another without pressing WASD. However, this is only possible if the next herb can be seen on your screen.  
• Gather Mate – Using addons is something you should always consider when playing World of Warcraft. These mods are beneficial in many situations, regardless of content. Gather Mate allows you to optimize your route and record your usual pathing to make your rotations more efficient.  

Once you have maxed out this profession, you will find how much gold you can earn quickly. Whether you choose to use the materials or sell them immediately in the Auction House, anything you gather from this profession will provide you with heaps of money. Make sure to consult this guide when you are leveling up Herbalism.  

Follow TechStrange for more!