New apothecary, herbal remedy and vintage store opens in Tacoma’s Proctor
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- Hawthorn & Honey opens in Tacoma's Proctor district, with apothecary and vintage retail.
- Owner Sara Butters teaches herbalism through apprenticeships and plant walks.
- Store sells locally sourced herbs and remedies rooted in traditional natural medicine.
A calming scent of fresh herbs and flowers wafted through the newly-opened Hawthorn & Honey in Tacoma’s Proctor district Thursday as customers browsed homemade tinctures, herb bundles, jewelry and a floor-to-ceiling wall of glass jars filled with dried Pacific Northwest plants.
The apothecary and shop takes over the former Fernseed location in Tacoma’s North End at 2703 N. Proctor St. Owner Sara Butters is an herbalist who has been teaching people how to forage and use plants as medicine for more than 10 years. She hosts monthly plant walks in Tacoma and offers seasonal apprenticeships with explorations of local forests, beaches and mountains.
Rachele Piety, a former apprentice, runs a vintage shop (Sassa Fratz) out of Hawthorn & Honey, and the space has a zero-waste station with reusable jars.
Butters was born on Whidbey Island and was raised in naturalism and herbalism. When she turned 40, Butters said, she left her Seattle job and moved to Tacoma to fulfill a deep craving to be more connected to the natural world.
Butters operates her Hawthorn & Honey school out of her house in South Tacoma, and the itinerary depends on the season. Summer days are spent identifying, gathering and processing plants into medicinal remedies and teas, some of which are then sold in her store. Students learn the foundations of herbalism, study how the body works and then practice making remedies in the kitchen.
Tall glass jars of Lemon Balm, orange Calendula flowers, lavender, Mugwort and other dried plants are sorted alphabetically in the shop, most of them from local growers in Washington and Oregon. Butters said she keeps the herbs fresh, so fresh that some are picked that week. Many of the plants provide remedies to soothe the mind and body.
“Herbalism is the medicine of the people,” she said. “It’s the main source of health care for most of the world because it’s free and most cultures have not lost the knowledge. It’s really the Western culture that has kind of suppressed that in people, both legally in some ways and also shaming the use of natural medicine.”
Since the beginning of humanity, people have used herbs as medicine, Butters said. Many students who take her courses are nervous at first and think they’re going to do something wrong. Over time, “something inside them wakes up” and they gain confidence.
“It’s some sort of memory that lives in our body of, OK — I’m supposed to be doing this,” she said.
Many pharmaceutical drugs are made with the active ingredients of plants, Butters said. Herbal medicine can treat digestive issues, pain, anxiety and stress, she said. Some herbs help reset the natural state of the body, work directly with nerves, cleanse the liver or calm heartburn, Butters said.
Although she doesn’t have a medical degree and can’t legally give medical advice, Butters often talks with her patrons about the symptoms they’re experiencing and helps them find remedies. Butters said herbal medicine has transformed her life and that her students usually sign up because they want to make changes in their health and find relief from their ailments.
Butters sold her products at local farmers markets, dreaming of one day having a brick-and-mortar of her own. Now her shop sits right behind where she’d table at the Proctor Farmer’s Market, and Butters said she’s “created this whole herbal community in Tacoma.”
“We’re like a big family,” she said.
If you go
▪ Hawthorn & Honey is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
▪ Find more information about the Hawthorn & Honey seasonal apprenticeships and monthly plant walks online at https://www.hawthornandhoney.com/.
This story was originally published July 20, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
