About Founder Kathryn Higgins

Kathryn Higgins
Founder, President and Herbalist for Motherlove Herbal Company

Motherlove Founder Kathryn Higgins

Nationally recognized herbalist, Kathryn Higgins, is the founder and visionary behind Motherlove Herbal Company. Born and raised in Rochester, Minnesota, Higgins grew up in a family steeped in medical tradition. Her grandfather was a researcher, her father a doctor at the Mayo Clinic, and her brother a graduate of the Mayo Medical School. The family's country home was surrounded with beautiful gardens, which Higgins helped tend and harvest. These influences were the foundation for her passion for herbal healing.

A class in wild edible plant identification at Colorado State University inspired Higgins to begin using nutritious wild plants, such as dandelion and nettle, in meals. By the early '70s, Higgins' interest in plants expanded into growing and creating herb concoctions for baths and skin care. Her "bohemian" lifestyle—she lived in a tipi surrounded by fields of wildflowers and herbs—became her inspiration. Higgins began to experiment with natural dyes, which led to her first business venture, a fiber accessory company called Canyon Colors.

Kathryn and Silencia

Pregnant with her first child, Higgins gathered the herbs from her Rocky Mountain home to make teas, oils, baths and liquid herbal extracts to support her own child birth experience. These creations became the "seeds" for Motherlove products. Higgins also began to teach several classes on herbs, including the ethics of wildcrafting. She led wild edible and medicinal plant identification walks, and taught herbal medicine making and body care classes. By the time Higgins was pregnant with her third child in 1990, Motherlove Herbal Company was born.

In 1996, Higgins published a Pocket Guide to Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants, written to help people identify useful plants in the Rocky Mountain region. She continued to teach classes for various institutions including Colorado State University and the Denver Botanical Gardens. Higgins has also been a guest speaker for organizations such as the La Leche League, the National Natural Pharmacy conference and various national radio shows. She has written articles for such publications as Natural Pharmacy, The Herb Quarterly and The Herb Companion. She is working on her second book, Sowing Seeds: Growing our Future, which focuses on growing herbs with children.

Today, Higgins is a nationally recognized herbalist, author and teacher. With 30 years of personal and professional experience, she continues to participate in lectures, seminars, and national lactation and birthing conferences. Her teachings focus on the self-empowerment of knowing and using the plants that surround us, and the opportunity this information holds for personal growth and planetary responsibility.