Black Business Spotlight: North Mountain Apothecary — Where Black Healing, Appalachian Land, and Wellness Meet

By Traci Phillips | Black By God: The West Virginian

In rural West Virginia, where the mountains have long held stories of survival, resistance, and self-reliance, North Mountain Apothecary is continuing a tradition that predates wellness trends and boutique branding. Rooted in Black herbal knowledge and Appalachian land stewardship, the apothecary offers more than products — it offers a return to care that is intentional, ancestral, and community-centered.

Based in Hedgesville, West Virginia, North Mountain Apothecary is a Black-owned herbal business grounded in plant medicine, cultural memory, and sustainability. Its work reflects a deep understanding that healing is not separate from history — especially for Black communities whose wellness practices were passed down through necessity, not luxury. Long before herbal remedies were packaged and marketed, Black families relied on plants, gardens, and shared knowledge to care for one another when formal systems did not.

That legacy is present in every aspect of the apothecary’s work. From teas and tinctures to salves and body care, North Mountain Apothecary’s offerings are crafted with attention to sourcing, seasonality, and the relationship between land and body. The focus is not on quick fixes or mass production, but on thoughtful preparation and respect for the plants themselves.

What makes North Mountain Apothecary especially significant is its place within West Virginia’s broader Black business ecosystem. In a region often misrepresented as culturally narrow, the apothecary stands as a reminder that Black presence in Appalachia has always existed — tending land, preserving knowledge, and creating systems of care outside of mainstream recognition. This business helps reclaim that narrative, centering Black wellness within the mountain landscape.

Beyond products, North Mountain Apothecary contributes to a growing movement that sees wellness as collective rather than individual. Education, knowledge-sharing, and community engagement are central to its mission. By helping people reconnect with herbal traditions safely and intentionally, the apothecary supports a form of empowerment rooted in agency and access — not gatekeeping.

This work matters in a state where healthcare access can be limited and where holistic practices have long filled the gaps. North Mountain Apothecary operates with an understanding that healing is layered: physical, emotional, spiritual, and cultural. It does not separate wellness from lived experience, and it does not ask people to abandon who they are to participate in it.

As conversations about health and sustainability continue to expand nationwide, North Mountain Apothecary offers a grounded alternative to wellness culture that often forgets its roots. Its work honors the Black hands and minds that carried herbal knowledge forward, even when those contributions were ignored or erased.

Supporting North Mountain Apothecary means supporting a vision of wellness that is slow, intentional, and deeply connected to place. It affirms that Black healing belongs in the mountains — and always has.

Visit their website to learn more!