When you’re leveling up your character in World of Warcraft, one of the most popular professions when you level up fast is Herbalism.

The reason for this is that it is a profession that can be done while doing quests and leveling up your character. As you go from your starting areas to level 80 and beyond with Cataclysm, you will go through the herbs. So you can spend a few extra moments to level up your herbalism at the same time. And unlike the crafting professions, it can be done without a large amount of gold.

Herbalism is best combined with:

A gathering profession such as mining or skinning.

Alchemy: Use the herbs you find to make potions, or

Inscription: Make pigments from herbs to create glyphs

Here are some tips to help level up your herbalism:

1. Do your herbalism training with your trainer as you get closer to these levels. Gather herbs and when you reach these profession levels, get your training.

herbalist apprentice

Journeyman Herbalist: Level 50 Herbalist required

Expert Herbalist – Herbalism level 10 / 125 character required

Artisan Herbalist: A level 25 / 200 Herbalism character is required

Master Herbalist (Burning Crusade) – Requires Character Level 40 / Herbalism 275

Grand Master Herbalist (WOTLK) – Requires a level 55 / 350 Herbalism character

Illustrious Herbalist (Cataclysm): Herbalism level 425 required

2. Use your minimap and collector plugin

When you’re on a mission, use the minimap to locate herbs with your herb find ability. Just keep an eye out and get the herbs as you see them. Just realize that you may end up in combat with mobs, so be prepared, especially if they are high level or elite. The gathering plugin also helps by remembering where you previously collected herbs so that if you’re passing through the area again, you know where to go.

3. Use special equipment and enchantments to speed up your herbalism

There are some special equipment that you can get from the leatherworkers or from the auction house. These are the Herbalist Gloves, which give you a +5 bonus to your Herbalism skill, so you can pick up theirs which usually require up to 5 more levels in your skill. This is an Alliance item, so if you’re Horde, you’ll need to get it from the Neutral Auction House.

4. Here is a list of the higher level herbs you can get and where to get them:

Frozen Grass – Dragonblight, Wintergrasp, northeast of Zul’Drak

Adder’s Tongue – Sholazar Basin, Drak’Tharon Fortress, Gundrak

Deadnettle: From the Frost Lotus, Gold Clover, Talandra’s Rose, and Tiger Lily nodes in Northrend

Lichbloom – Icecrown, The Storm Peaks and Wintergrasp Lake

Icethorn – Icecrown, The Storm Peaks and Wintergrasp Lake

Frozen Lotus – Lake Wintergrasp

With some of these high level herbs, you can sell them on the auction house for 50 or sometimes over 100 gold per stack.

5. Use your skills in whatever class you are in to get the herbs efficiently.

This means that you should use your stealth ability if you have them, for example as a druid or rogue, as it can be easier to sneak up on mobs rather than kill them. When you are stealthed, get as far away from the mob as possible so as not to attack them, and when you collect the grass you will come out of stealth. And be ready for your escape plan. You can simply turn into a high-speed or travel form if you have one, and run away. Or tangle them into the ground with your tangle ability so they don’t bother you as you move on to the next area. There are more tips on strategy when it comes to herbalism with your character.

So use these tips, and more, when leveling up your herbalism.

Herbalism as a profession can turn you into gold on the auction house to generate income, and can provide you with the materials for another profession, such as alchemy. And when you’re flying at the higher levels in Northrend, you can get herbs quickly and get those rares too.

So go ahead and level up your Herbalism and get some great gear and gold doing it!