At Cheryl's Herbs, the goal is to promote and support a healthy lifestyle

Owner Tiffany Jones is inspired by her own life, spending time outdoors as a child as well as with her grandmother, from whom she learned about plants and their power to heal.

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Tiffany Jones, the owner of Cheryl’s Herbs (7233 Manchester) in Maplewood, grew up in the South Carolina countryside, about an hour’s drive from Myrtle Beach. In her town of 1,600, Jones says, playing outdoors is what kids did. She passed much of her time with her grandmother Lizzie, learning about plants and their power to heal.

“[My grandmother] showed me the beauty of seeing how things grow, harvesting them, and making things with them,” she says.

When Jones moved to St. Louis in 2004 and discovered Cheryl’s Herbs, she was thrilled. “I thought it was amazing because still, in the Midwest, you don’t find a lot of herbal shops,” she says. Jones became a regular patron and, when she heard that the shop might close after the passing of its original owner, took matters into her own hands and bought the store.

Cheryl’s Herbs’ line of ready-made products—for adults, children, and even cats and dogs—comprises three key components: essential oils, dried herbs, and herbal extracts. Some of their bestsellers are liquid herbal extracts, concentrated solutions made by extracting—referred to as “pulling” or “washing”—an herb’s chemical constituents out of the herb fiber by submerging it in a solution of alcohol or glycerin and water for several days. These extracts—of which Cheryl’s Herbs offers more than 150—are made in house. A drop or two may be placed directly in the mouth, or mixed into a drink. The elderberry glycerin and sinus extract, made up of a mix of herbs, are two of the most popular extracts, Jones says.

“We’re like mad scientists,” she adds. “It’s really cool to see how we take a plant and turn it into plant medicine.” If you’re looking to relax, that might be kava kava. If you need to soothe dry skin, you’d want a body cream made with calendula flowers. “A lot of people use it if they deal with eczema,” she says.

Though some extracts are not appropriate for children, Jones and her team make some products specifically for young ones. For example, Baby’s Blend, which is made with lavender, can be massaged into babies’ skin to help them fall asleep.

At the end of the day, Jones says, her work is all about helping people. “Cheryl did what she did to help people,” she says, “and that’s what we do.” Much like the women who have supported and inspired her, Jones is committed to uplifting other women. As a Black-owned, Women’s Business Enterprise National Council–certified business, Cheryl’s Herbs is run by an all-female staff and sources most of its herbs from female farmers. “We love working with women. That’s just our thing,” Jones says.

Jones continues to spread the word about herbs to help more people realize their benefits. This fall, the store will be hosting a school for those interested in learning to make their own herbal products. On September 15, the business is releasing, as part of its Botanical Bitters Collection, a product dubbed “Toss the Tums.” A blend of aromatic and bitter botanicals that support a healthy digestive system, it is designed to be taken before or after a meal.

Jones is encouraged by what she sees as changing perceptions of herbalism; after all, she notes, it was once the norm. “A lot of times, when people think of herbs, they think of hippies or people living in the woods,” she says. “No longer is that the case. Herbalism is available to anyone and any type of lifestyle.”

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