Herb farming in World of Warcraft: Forever starts on November 4 with Classic’s herbs in Classic’s zones, but the reasons to farm them changed: First Aid now makes the healing potions, Tailoring’s reagent bags need dyes made from new Scarce herbs, and Waylaid Crates turn herb bundles into Merchant’s Favor. This WoW Forever herb farming guide names the best zone for every herb, shows eight farming maps and ranks which herbs should sell at launch, based on what our own profession routes use.
This is not a leveling route: for Herbalism 1 to 300, follow our WoW Forever herbalism leveling guide. Its six route maps aren’t repeated here; the maps below cover other zones that beat them for a specific herb. Everything else about the new version starts at our WoW Forever hub.
How solid this is: Forever’s node positions aren’t public. Every spawn point and count below is Classic data (classicdb and cmangos), and Forever uses the same zones; we compared each Forever zone map with the Classic one before drawing on it. Recipe uses come from the beta client’s data. The beta ended on October 23 at a level 30 cap, so nobody has gathered above herb skill 150 in Forever yet. Updated November 2: Blizzard’s October 16 development notes cut Tauren Cultivation’s cooldown from one hour to 15 minutes.
Best Place to Farm Every Herb in WoW Forever
The best place to farm each herb in WoW Forever, going by Classic spawn data, is the zone in the second column. Counts are spawn points of each herb’s main node in classicdb (cmangos for the eight herbs missing from our classicdb set), so read them as a ranking, not a total. Zone levels are from our WoW Forever zones by level guide.
| Herb (skill) | Best farm (spawn points) | Also good | Level of best zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peacebloom (1) | The Barrens (74), Tirisfal Glades (54) | Alliance: Teldrassil (44), Dun Morogh (41) | 1-25 |
| Silverleaf (1) | Durotar (154), The Barrens (98) | Alliance: Loch Modan (81), Darkshore (64) | 1-10 |
| Earthroot (15) | The Barrens (143) | Tirisfal (37), Dun Morogh (31) | 10-25 |
| Mageroyal (50) | The Barrens (228) | Ashenvale (63), Darkshore (61) | 10-25 |
| Briarthorn (70) | Duskwood (89), The Barrens (84) | Ashenvale (57), Darkshore (52) | 10-30 |
| Stranglekelp (85) | Stranglethorn coast (88) | Ashenvale (69), Wetlands (66), underwater | 30-45 |
| Bruiseweed (100) | Stonetalon (125), Hillsbrad (111) | Ashenvale (104), Wetlands (95) | 15-35 |
| Wild Steelbloom (115) | Arathi Highlands (126) | Stonetalon (90), Wetlands (47) | 30-40 |
| Grave Moss (120) | Desolace (23), Duskwood (18) | Graveyards only | 18-40 |
| Kingsblood (125) | Stranglethorn (53) | Hillsbrad (37), Barrens (29) | 30-45 |
| Liferoot (150) | Stranglethorn (52), Wetlands (51) | Arathi (47), Alterac (39) | 20-45 |
| Fadeleaf (160) | Arathi (55), Swamp of Sorrows (50) | Alterac (36), Stranglethorn (34) | 30-45 |
| Goldthorn (170) | Stranglethorn (184) | Arathi (117), Swamp of Sorrows (91) | 30-45 |
| Khadgar’s Whisker (185) | Stranglethorn (179) | Arathi (71), Swamp of Sorrows (51) | 30-45 |
| Wintersbite (195) | Alterac Mountains (34) | The only zone | 30-40 |
| Firebloom (205) | Tanaris (72) | Searing Gorge (63), Badlands (20) | 40-50 |
| Purple Lotus (210) | Azshara (114) | Hinterlands (34), Tanaris (32) | 45-55 |
| Arthas’ Tears (220) | Western Plaguelands (65) | Eastern Plaguelands (37), Felwood (19) | 51-58 |
| Sungrass (230) | Azshara (90), Hinterlands (77) | Blasted Lands (37), Eastern Plaguelands (35) | 40-55 |
| Blindweed (235) | Swamp of Sorrows (127) | Un’Goro (16) | 35-45 |
| Ghost Mushroom (245) | Hinterlands, Skulk Rock cave (22) | Desolace (13) | 40-50 |
| Gromsblood (250) | Felwood (54) | Blasted Lands (26), Desolace (12) | 48-55 |
| Golden Sansam (260) | Un’Goro (91), Azshara (87) | Eastern Plaguelands (45), Burning Steppes (32) | 45-55 |
| Dreamfoil (270) | Azshara (122) | Un’Goro (83), Eastern Plaguelands (71) | 45-55 |
| Mountain Silversage (280) | Winterspring (85) | Un’Goro (64), Azshara (52) | 53-60 |
| Plaguebloom (285) | Eastern Plaguelands (147) | Western Plaguelands (77), Felwood (63) | 53-60 |
| Icecap (290) | Winterspring (182) | The only zone | 53-60 |
| Black Lotus (300) | Burning Steppes (32) | Winterspring (24), Eastern Plaguelands (20) | 50-58 |
Forever’s new zones (Zephras Isle, the Riverglades, Shen’dralas, Mount Hyjal) have no public herb data yet.
WoW Forever Herb Farming Maps
Shaded areas on these eight maps are drawn around real Classic spawn points, red lines are suggested loops, and flight points come from the beta client.
Silverleaf and Peacebloom: Durotar
Durotar has more Silverleaf than any other zone (154 spawn points) plus Peacebloom and some Earthroot on almost every hillside; loop from Razor Hill through the northern valleys and down the coast to Sen’jin Village. Alliance players find the same herbs in Dun Morogh, Teldrassil and Elwynn Forest, and the most Silverleaf in Loch Modan (81).
Mageroyal, Briarthorn and Bruiseweed: Ashenvale
Ashenvale is the best Bruiseweed zone both factions can reach (104 spawn points), with Mageroyal and Briarthorn around Maestra’s Post and Kingsblood near Satyrnaar. It is one of five zones where Blizzard’s October 1 beta notes raised respawn rates for “many different creatures and objects”; whether herb nodes count is unknown. The Barrens has by far the most Mageroyal (228).
Wild Steelbloom, Goldthorn and Fadeleaf: Arathi Highlands
Arathi Highlands is the farm for Wild Steelbloom (126, the most of any zone) and the second-best zone for Goldthorn (117), Khadgar’s Whisker (71), Fadeleaf (55) and Liferoot (47). Steelbloom lines the northern ridge, Goldthorn the western hills along Thoradin’s Wall, and Liferoot grows by the water. Stranglethorn has more Goldthorn and Khadgar’s Whisker, but it’s the busiest zone of the 30s.
Blindweed: Swamp of Sorrows
The Swamp of Sorrows holds 127 of Blindweed’s 145 open-world spawn points in classicdb’s data, so it is the only real Blindweed farm. The bog around the Temple of Atal’Hakkar is Blindweed and Khadgar’s Whisker, the southern cliffs carry Goldthorn (91 in the zone), and Misty Valley adds Fadeleaf. In Forever the swamp borders the new Riverglades, so expect company at 35 to 45.
Firebloom and Purple Lotus: Tanaris
Tanaris is the best Firebloom zone (72 spawn points in cmangos’ data), spread evenly over the open desert, so ride a wide loop from Gadgetzan. Purple Lotus grows in small clusters at the ruins (32). Searing Gorge (63 Firebloom) is the Eastern Kingdoms option; see our Classic Firebloom farming guide.
Purple Lotus, Sungrass, Dreamfoil and Golden Sansam: Azshara
Azshara is the richest herb zone from skill 210 to 300: it leads Classic data for Purple Lotus (114), Sungrass (90) and Dreamfoil (122) and is a close second for Golden Sansam (87). Purple Lotus clusters around the Ruins of Eldarath, Sungrass fills the western valley between Valormok and Talrendis Point, and Dreamfoil and Golden Sansam cover the south shore and the Bitter Reaches. Forever’s new dungeon Blackmaw Hold (55-60) in the north may bring traffic. Other zones: our Classic Dreamfoil routes and Golden Sansam guide.
Plaguebloom: Eastern Plaguelands
The Eastern Plaguelands hold 147 Plaguebloom spawn points, the most of any zone, plus Dreamfoil (71), Golden Sansam (45), Arthas’ Tears (37) and 20 Black Lotus spawns. Forever redrew and reframed this zone’s map, so the Classic spawns are drawn on the Classic map; whether the terrain changed is unknown. The Western Plaguelands (77) and Felwood (63) are the backups, covered in our Classic Plaguebloom routes and, for Felwood’s other herb, Gromsblood routes.
Icecap, Mountain Silversage and Black Lotus: Winterspring
Winterspring is the only Icecap zone (182 spawn points) and the best for Mountain Silversage (85). Icecap fills the valley south of Everlook toward Darkwhisper Gorge and the western valley; Silversage grows on the slopes north and east of Everlook. Winterspring also has 24 of Black Lotus’s 94 spawn points in cmangos’ data, second to Burning Steppes (32). Our Classic Icecap routes, Mountain Silversage guide and Black Lotus guide cover every spot.
Which Herbs Will Sell in WoW Forever
The herbs most in demand in WoW Forever will be the ones our profession routes use up, plus the ones Forever gave new buyers. The route column counts herbs on the routes in our WoW Forever alchemy leveling guide and first aid leveling guide; the last column is our estimate.
| Herb | On our routes | Other uses in Forever’s beta data | Demand (our estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peacebloom | Alchemy 92; First Aid 54 if leveled with potions | Mana Well, Peace Tea | High in launch week |
| Silverleaf, Earthroot | Alchemy 57 and 53 | Low-level elixirs | Medium, plentiful |
| Mageroyal, Briarthorn | Alchemy 74 and 60; First Aid 30 Briarthorn | Royal Tea (Mageroyal) | Medium |
| Stranglekelp | Alchemy 89 | Mana potions | High: grows only underwater |
| Bruiseweed | First Aid 25 (Healing Potion) | Healing Potion for every character | Medium |
| Kingsblood | Alchemy 26 | 17 recipes, Herbalist’s Gloves (4) | Medium |
| Liferoot, Fadeleaf | First Aid 20 Liferoot; Alchemy 28 Fadeleaf | Root Tea, Triage Tea | Low to medium |
| Goldthorn | Alchemy 69 | Goldthorn Tea (+15 Herbalism), 16 recipes | High in the 30s and 40s |
| Purple Lotus | None | Eight new Sentinel’s mail and plate pieces (44 for all), Cenarion Herb Bag (10) | High from level 40 |
| Sungrass | Alchemy 64; First Aid 15 | Phalanx and Greater Fortitude elixirs (4 each), Sunny Tea | High from level 45 |
| Blindweed | Alchemy options: 97 (265-300) or 33 (290-300) | Elixir of the Grizzly | Medium |
| Golden Sansam | First Aid 15 | Major Healing Potion, Nature Power and Sages elixirs | High at 60 |
| Dreamfoil | None | 23 recipes, the most of any herb: Major Mana Potion, flasks, new elixirs | Highest at 60 |
| Gromsblood | None | Flask of the Titans (30), new elixirs | High at 60 |
| Plaguebloom, Icecap, Mountain Silversage | Alchemy option: 49 Plaguebloom | Major Mana Potion, Flask of Chromatic Resistance (30 Icecap), Sage’s Tea | Medium to high at 60 |
| Black Lotus | None | Classic flasks, Alchemist’s Stone (4), Satchel of Cenarius | Highest per node |
Our read: the first week’s money is in low herbs. Every character can make healing potions with First Aid now, and an alchemist burns 92 Peacebloom and 89 Stranglekelp on the way to 225. From level 40, Purple Lotus gets a second buyer in blacksmiths. At 60, Dreamfoil feeds the 30-minute elixirs that Merchant’s Favor sells (Sages, Owl, Cunning, Whale), and Golden Sansam becomes the Major Healing Potion herb for every class.
One selling note: Blizzard’s October 13 blue post says accounts suspected of real-money trading can get a Temporary Economy Hold that blocks trade, mail and the Auction House until checked, with some false positives expected while the system is new.
Scarce Herbs: Frilled Lichen, Rosecap and Stranglevine
Scarce herbs in WoW Forever have no nodes of their own: they drop as a bonus when you pick regular herbs, according to Icy Veins, which reported Frilled Lichen from the beta. Which herbs drop which is unknown. The beta client gives them item levels 25, 45 and 60, the same steps as Mining’s Scarce ores Pyrite, Bauxite and Pitchblende, so our estimate is that Frilled Lichen comes from low-level herbs, Rosecap from mid-level ones and Stranglevine from level 55 to 60 zones.
| Scarce herb | Item level | Alchemist dye (Alchemy skill) | Recipes using the dye | Other use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frilled Lichen | 25 | Cerulean Dye (50) | 130 (108 Tailoring), incl. four reagent bags | Enchant Weapon – Insight (4) |
| Rosecap | 45 | Magenta Dye (130) | 65, incl. two reagent bags | Enchant Necklace – Healing Power (4) |
| Stranglevine | 60 | Viridian Dye (230) | 15, incl. two reagent bags | Enchant 2H Weapon – Mighty Healing Power (4) |
Each dye takes two Scarce herbs and makes one dye in the beta client, so a Silk Reagent Bag (3 Cerulean Dye) costs 6 Frilled Lichen and a Mooncloth Reagent Bag (10 Viridian Dye plus one of each other dye) 24 Scarce herbs. Our WoW Forever tailoring leveling guide lists every reagent bag. The Legacy perk Bountiful Harvest adds 20% more Scarce materials per rank, 100% at rank 5 (Legacy System guide).
New Herbs: Marefoil, Demonsage and Death Lotus
Marefoil, Demonsage and Death Lotus are new level 60 herbs in the beta client; where they grow and what skill they need are unknown. What the data shows:
- Uses: four new Natural flasks take 12 to 18 Marefoil or Demonsage plus one Death Lotus each. Death Lotus also goes into the Legionite Glaive, two glove enchants and two Engineering items.
- Value: Death Lotus is uncommon and sells to vendors for 15 silver, Black Lotus for 10.
- The one location hint: Enchant Gloves – Lotus Claw gives “a small chance to acquire Death Lotus when gathering any herb in Hyjal” (beta client spell text). The enchant itself costs a Death Lotus, so the herb must also grow or drop somewhere.
- Our guess: Mount Hyjal, Forever’s level 60 zone, is the likeliest home for all three. Nothing in the data confirms that for Marefoil or Demonsage.
Herb Farming Tools in WoW Forever
WoW Forever adds these tools for herbalists:
| Tool | What it does for a farmer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Greenhouse (Herbalism 140) | Camp object that grows herbs from planted seeds over time | Blueprint drops from Shadetooth in the Excavation Site: Wetlands (Zockify, Icy Veins) |
| Seed Hybridizer (Herbalism 300) | Multiplies seeds or combines them into rarer tiers | Blueprint source unknown |
| Tauren Cultivation | Duplicates a nearby herb, pickable without Herbalism; 15-minute cooldown (one hour in the beta client); player level = herb skill / 5 | Blizzard’s September 24 notes (level rule) and October 16 notes (cooldown) |
| Goldthorn Tea | +15 Herbalism for 15 minutes; one Goldthorn makes four | Beta client; see our cooking guide |
| Revealing Draught | Shows “hidden” herb and ore nodes for 30 minutes | Beta client; how you get it is unknown |
| Find Herbs | Combines with Hunter tracking, not with Find Minerals | Warcraft Tavern |
For a Tauren herbalist, Cultivation is up to four extra nodes an hour since the October 16 cut; use it on the best herb you pass, at 60 a Black Lotus. Goldthorn Tea lets you pick Black Lotus at skill 285. All camp objects are in our WoW Forever professions guide.
Waylaid Crates That Ask for Herbs
Waylaid Crates drop from enemies, and each herb crate takes one bundle from a short list. A filled crate pays 5 to 20 Merchant’s Favor (Zockify) at the trade camp in Redridge (Alliance) or west of the Crossroads (Horde). Bundles are Zockify’s beta data, levels from the beta client.
| Crate | Level | Fill with one of |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice Herbs | 10 | 20 Peacebloom, 20 Silverleaf, 10 Earthroot, 10 Mageroyal, 10 Briarthorn |
| Journeyman Herbs | 10 | 10 Stranglekelp, Bruiseweed, Wild Steelbloom, Grave Moss or Kingsblood |
| Earthly Expert Herbs | 20 | 20 Liferoot; 10 Fadeleaf, Goldthorn or Khadgar’s Whisker |
| Flowering Expert Herbs | 20 | 20 Purple Lotus; 10 Wintersbite, Firebloom or Arthas’ Tears |
| Earthly Artisan Herbs | 35 | 20 Sungrass; 10 Golden Sansam, Blindweed, Ghost Mushroom or Gromsblood |
| Flowering Artisan Herbs | 35 | 20 Dreamfoil, Mountain Silversage, Plaguebloom or Icecap |
Fill each crate with whatever is cheapest on your server that day, at launch usually Peacebloom or Silverleaf; Stranglekelp, Kingsblood and Goldthorn are worth more sold than crated (our estimate).
FAQ
Where is the best place to farm herbs in WoW Forever?
On Classic spawn data: Durotar and the Barrens for low herbs, Ashenvale and Arathi Highlands for skill 100 to 250, Azshara for Purple Lotus, Sungrass and Dreamfoil, the Eastern Plaguelands for Plaguebloom and Winterspring for Icecap and Mountain Silversage.
How big are herb bags in WoW Forever?
In the beta client the Herb Pouch has 12 slots, the Cenarion Herb Bag 26 and the Satchel of Cenarius 32, up from 20 and 24 in Classic. A new Apprentice’s Herb Pouch has 4.
What do herb seeds do in WoW Forever?
Herb seeds drop while you gather and grow herbs in a Greenhouse, the Herbalism camp object from skill 140; the Seed Hybridizer at 300 multiplies them or combines them into rarer tiers. Which herbs grow from which seeds is still unknown.
Sources: Blizzard’s beta development notes (September 24, October 1 and October 8) and Blizzard’s blue post on Temporary Economy Holds (October 13). Recipe data from SeeMeta and Zockify, Waylaid Crate bundles from Zockify, Scarce herb reports from Icy Veins and Warcraft Tavern, item and spell values from the beta client (builds 1.60.1.70338 and 70374), Classic herb spawns from classicdb and cmangos. Maps: Blizzard Entertainment, from Warcraft Wiki’s map files.