Artist, herbalist, and historian Anita M. Smith was known as the Herb Lady of the Catskills.

Anita M. Smith (AMS), a Quaker from Philadelphia, arrived in Woodstock, NY, in 1912 to study art. In 1933, she founded Stonecrop Garden. By 1939, she was selling herbs in all forty-eight contiguous states and had independently published As True as the Barnacle Tree. The book was based on the work of early herbalists such as John Gerard, Nicholas Culpeper, and John Evelyn—with chapters on Native American, Quaker, Shaker, and early-settler lore. Also included were a suggested plan for a herb garden, favorite culinary herbs, and recipes. The enduring popularity of this book resulted in a reprinting by The Practical Press in 1988 and the adoption of the cover woodblock of AMS as the icon used by The Herb Quarterly. This new edition of As True as the Barnacle Tree features an introduction, a list of selected sources, and an index.